


Brooklyn's Finest

by kellebelle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, BAMF Tony Stark, Ensemble Cast, Howling Commandos - Freeform, Humor, Hurt Tony, Hydra, Implied Torture, M/M, Mafia AU, More tags to come later, Non-Graphic Violence, Protective Steve, Slow Build, Snark, So Much Snark, Steve Has Issues, Steve is 30, Steve is a little shit, Tony Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony and Bucky are friends, Tony has self-esteem issues, Tony is 25, Tony is a little shit, UST, but that doesn't mean they aren't part of the family, dedicated to the upcoming SteveTonyFest, i'm sure i forgot several, let me know if i should add a tag, mentions of AIM, mentions of Hammer Tech, none of the actual Howling Commandos other than Bucky are in this, so much UST, that was just a lot of characters to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 37,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4176636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellebelle/pseuds/kellebelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Day #79 of Stark Watch. Where is the 25 year old genius? No one has spotted him in nearly three months, and many are speculating that he might be dead. Others remain hopeful and alert, eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite billionaire to the spotlight.”</i>
</p><p>HYDRA gets Tony, then Steve gets Tony. Steve isn't sure how this became his life but he's fairly certain Tony Stark is going to be the death of him.</p><p>Mafia AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is officially for the 2015 Cap-Iron Man Reverse Big Bang and I'm so happy it gets to be involved!
> 
> The fantastic knightly (ironprodigy on tumblr) is not only the artist for this story, but is also the beta and is the reason this story sounds more put together than it was when I wrote it. Without her help this story would be a complete disaster and she has given me a lot of excellent concrit to help improve my writing in the areas I knew I was lacking. This is the longest fic I have ever written (roughly 40,000 words give or take when it is finally posted in its entirety). She has been extremely patient with me and also helped me with a lot of problems I stumbled upon with plot.
> 
> This ended up becoming a collaborative effort because we both gave input and she put things in the story she wanted to see, changed a few things around and, as I said before, made it not suck. I've gone through and proofread everything multiple times, but if you still see any errors then please let me know.
> 
> This fic will be posted in two chapters. The first one now and the second one hopefully within the week (it depends on how much free time she has). The art will come probably about a week after the second chapter. The story is finished though. The art is drawn out. Both just need finishing touches and unfortunately, there isn't much I can do to help out with the art since my experience only allows me to draw primitive looking stick figures.
> 
> In its lateness though, and due to when everything will be completely posted, this will be dedicated to the upcoming SteveTonyFest at the beginning of July.

_“Day #79 of Stark Watch. Where is the 25 year old genius? No one has spotted him in nearly three months, and many are speculating that he might be dead. Others remain hopeful and alert, eagerly awaiting the return of their favorite billionaire to the spotlight.”_

Steve adjusted the volume until it was nothing more than a steady hum in the background, bringing his focus instead to the tabletop before him. Guns, knives, small time bombs, stunners, electric shocks, arrows—everything Steve’s team needed to stay ahead in the game he’d found himself calling shots for. He set to work counting ammunition, disassembling, reassembling and cleaning the weapons and taking inventory of new acquisitions they’d acquired while dealing with AIM earlier in the week.

It was a time consuming process, assessing the weapons and noting pertinent information in a battered old school ledger that led to him being the butt of several ‘old man’ jokes by his colleagues, at least those close enough to ever see the ledger in the first place, but Steve was of the opinion that it was safer than using a computer to keep his records, especially when it concerned their under the table matters.  

Steve ran a rough hand down his face, eyelids drooping as he tried to focus his attention on the writing on the page. He couldn’t let himself sleep just yet, didn’t have the luxury of that kind of time on his hands, not with everything he knew that required his full and immediate attention. Business deals that needed finalizing, corrupt politicians to work around and debts to collect on. Steve was always good at collecting what was owed to him.

Steve had never intended for this to be his life. It had all happened mostly by accident, as much as you can call being in the wrong place at the wrong time-- or perhaps that wasn’t quite right, being in the wrong place at the right time was a more astute observation-- an accident.

Years ago Steve had found himself acquainted with a man who went by the name Abraham Erskine, a man he knew little about let alone his less than legal lifestyle. No, that part had come as something of a surprise, though the word ‘surprise’ wasn’t the first word to come to mind when Steve found himself tied to a metal chair with a pudgy speckled man spewing spit and badly accented questions in Steve’s face.

Steve spent three days scrambling for answers about an organization he had no knowledge of and planning an escape he was only 12% sure would work. Three days before the sound of bullets hitting metal and flesh shook him from his meditative daze. Three days and the first sight Steve had seen other than men with bad breath and even worst attitudes was a woman standing tall, a gun at her side, victory curls in her hair, and a very British accent.

She’d untied his wrist with a flick of her knife, grabbed his hand tight, and said very firmly, ‘keep up’, and he had. They’d ran and ducked and hid behind corners until a car pulled up fast around the corner and the lady, who later identified herself as Peggy Carter, shoved him in the backseat and shouted at the driver to ‘bloody drive!’.

Peggy took him back to Erskine then, where Steve only just restrained himself from attacking the other man. Instead he’d listened as Erskine explained his business, explained how he was the sort of leader of a very prominent mob rooted in the underbelly of Brooklyn. He’d talked and talked about what they stood for, why they were there in the first place, where they wanted to be in the future and at the end of it, Steve slumped back against his seat, his injuries long tended to but still throbbing under the bandages, Erskine offered Steve a place amongst his ranks.

Steve had paused, a ‘no’ on the tip of his tongue but unable to make its way past his lips. What would he be losing really if he said yes instead? He was the picture perfect definition of a starving artist, working a job he hated that only paid him minimum wage on a good day, debt piled a mile high from his late mother's hospital and funeral costs, and a best friend overseas with a return date booked sometime in the distant future if he didn’t find himself blown sky high first.

It wasn’t the life Steve had ever meant to have, no, but in that moment, the ‘no’ on his tongue contorted until a stronger than expected ‘yes’ made its way out first. Maybe he’d been too naive, he’d definitely been too young, foolish really, and almost desperate to prove himself to anyone who would pay attention.

The blonde abruptly shut the ledger, all important information recorded and ready to be hidden away for the time being. Steve sat at the table a bit longer though, his pen forgotten, fingers steepled underneath his chin.

He’d long accepted that this was his life now, a firm believer in dealing with the cards you were dealt with, and had no delusions of ever getting out and starting over. There was no going back, no second chances in this line of work, not if you wanted to succeed. So yes, he understood and accepted who he had become but sometimes still, times like now, he found himself burdened by a slight feeling of longing for the days when he didn’t have an organization to run. Longing for a time where he worked his miserable job every day and painted the night away and he wasn’t happy exactly but he’d certainly been less stressed.

Steve was, for better use of words, tired. His diligence, making sure everyone in his family was taken care of, left him wanting. For what, he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t trust anyone else enough to do his job, not like Erskine had trusted Steve. No, this was Steve’s burden to carry now and he always had been known for being set in his ways, too stubborn to change tracks when the way he did things had always turned out favorable results.

Steve pushed himself from the table, back popping as he straightened up. He rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tension that had built up there, tension that would only get worse until he could finally take a moment to relax at some point in the future. Definitely not tomorrow though, tomorrow he had to take Bucky and Natasha out with him, if for nothing more than a little hard hitting persuasion, something the both of them excelled at.

Some people mistook his general kindness for mercy, for weakness, and thought they could evade him when it came time to pay up what was owed to him. He hated when they did that, hated having his hand forced. Chasing them down was time consuming and tiresome, and while Natasha and Bucky were very good at making people understand the situation they were in using minimal force, there were always the odd ones in the bunch who tried again and again to pull one over on Steve to the point where he couldn’t turn back, couldn’t let them slide anymore lest he began to look weak willed.

Steve rolled his neck until he heard another pop before he picked up the remote and turned of the television. The silence was very much welcome at this point and Steve let his head hang, eyes closed.

He jumped when there was a loud set of raps on the door. Reflex had him grabbing his gun and aiming it at the door, hands steady and eyes narrowed. Nobody should have been able to get far enough to knock on his front door, he had guards for christ sakes. Or he'd had guards, he’d have to check on that.

He waited quietly until the knock came again, this time a little more rapidly.

Natasha slid into the room a moment later, footsteps soft as she idled up to his side. They shared a glance, a nod of silent understanding after he jerked his head towards the door. She made her way to the entrance, gun held at her side as her hand settled around the door handle. They were both ready to take out whoever it was in an instant.

She pulled the door open.

“Hi, honey.” Came a rasping voice followed by a choking cough. “I’m home”.

Steve lowered his weapon and stared at the man in front of him.

“Stark.”

Tony gave him a lopsided smile and a short wave, wincing slightly with the motion. This man looked nothing like anyone was used to seeing him, and that included all the publicized scandals caused by his various indiscretions. The billionaire before him wasn’t the handsome young man the world was used to, no, this Stark’s hair was disheveled beyond resembling a rats nest, his face appeared to be one giant bruise interlaced with a few cuts, most prominent the few next to his right eye, the split in his lip and the much larger gash still sluggishly bleeding at his temple. His clothing was tattered and torn, dirty and covered in blood both old and new, and he had what appeared to be a torn up shirt acting as a sling for his left arm. Steve held back a slight wince, could just imagine the other injuries hiding beneath the ratty garments still covering a majority of his thinner than usual body.

Steve opened his mouth to ask if the other man was okay but what came out instead was a gruff, “How did you find this place?”

“A little bird sent me here.”

Steve’s suspicion hiked up another level, eyes narrowing. “Why?”

Tony pressed his lips together and looked away for a moment as if unsure of what to say. Steve almost thought he might look a little scared but it was only for a few seconds before it was covered up with a neat little smirk. “I haven’t seen you in weeks you know, since that charity dinner where you turned down my offer to dance. I thought I’d stop in and see how you were, catch a look at your pretty face and maybe convince you to cut a rug with me, you know, for funsies.”

The blond shut his eyes and counted to ten in his head  before giving up around 8 and speaking impatiently. “Stark.”

“Fine fine,” Tony let out a stuttered breath. “Ineedyourhelp,” he mumbled quickly.

Steve and Natasha shared a look, the redhead arching her eyebrow in silent amusement.

“Come again?" Natasha asked, a smile softly lighting up her face.

Tony gritted his teeth. “I. Need. Your. Help.” When he was met with silence his shoulders slumped. “Look. I had absolutely no one else to go to. You are my last resort.”

“Why come to us?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Tony asked slowly as if speaking to someone who was very stupid or slow. “Besides, this is your fault!”

This time Steve joined Natasha in looking amused as they both shared a brief look. “Is that so? Care to tell me how you’re blaming me for whatever trouble it is that you seem to have found yourself in?”

Tony shrugged, but there was another smirk, this one a bit more bitter and curdling at the edges. “Does HYDRA ring any bells? Johann Schmidt? Or maybe you know him as ‘Red Skull’. Yeah.”

Steve and Natasha both scowled, definitely paying more attention now.

Tony looked just slightly smug. “Thought so. Imagine my complete surprise when they interrogated me about ‘The Captain’ and his ‘Howling Commandos.’ Or when they asked me how long exactly I’ve been doing dirty work for Steve Rogers, who, as it turns out is The Captain.” Tony took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. “I think there are just a few things you guys might have left out those times you had me working on your soldier friend’s arm.”

“What I do is purely on a need to know basis. What we do has nothing to do with your work on Bucky.” Steve knew how ridiculous it all must have sounded now, all things considered, but it had been the truth up until Tony managed to get himself kidnapped HYDRA. “You not knowing, it was as much for your protection as it was for ours”.

“Well let me be the first one to tell you that you did an outstanding job protecting me. Really, guys. Bravo!”

Steve snapped. “Show some respect, kid. Realize where you are and understand your place, before we show you your way out.”

Tony scowled, face contorted in obvious anger, but fear still swimming in his eyes-- not that Steve could blame him, but he wasn’t going to let some young punk disrespect him in his own home. He had the odd urge to grab the genius by the ear and drag him to the sofa, but just managed to restrain himself, gripping the man’s good arm firmly.

“Ow! Watch the goods! Did you miss the part where I’m injured?”

Steve didn’t bother to respond, instead leading the genius to a chair, pressing down on his shoulder with enough force that he had no choice but to sit. “Shut up, Stark. It’s time to talk”.

“Uh, no. It’s time for you to help me”.

“Nah ah ah,” Steve responded, wagging his finger. “I’m not helping you until you answer a few questions for me. I need to be able to trust you, Stark, or else this won’t work.”

Tony sighed, sagging down into his seat, all traces of confidence gone as he looked down and ran his good hand through his already ruined hair. Steve watched him, saw just how shaken up the Stark heir actually was, the tremors in his hands and the bouncing of his leg almost going unnoticed, would have gone unnoticed if Steve didn’t have such a practiced eye. Steve set his face until he knew it was completely blank, he couldn’t afford to take pity on him, not until they were on the same page.

“What do you want to know?” he asked, sounding every bit as tired as he suddenly looked.

“Where have they been keeping you, for starters?”

Tony clenched his jaw and sucked in his cheeks. “In a tiny room with only a bed, a bucket and no running water if you don’t count the constant drip from the ceiling, which, I don’t. More specifically, a warehouse out in the middle of who the fuck knows. I assume it’s only used when HYDRA needs to deal with their trash."

“What did they want?”

“Information on you. What kind of work do I do for you? My involvement in your affairs. Build us this weapon or we will kill you. Tell us where to find the Howling Commandos or we will kill you. Lot’s of death threats being thrown around.”

“What did you tell them?”

Tony’s head shot up, his gaze almost comical at first until he glared. “What the fuck do you think I told them? I don’t know the secret password to your little ongoing party. I didn’t know who ‘The Captain’ was until they let it slip. It took them a week to realize I was telling the truth, a week of fucking torture.” His voice was watery. “By then they decided that if they couldn’t use me for what they got me for, then they could at least try and get me to make them new weapons. Something to use against you the next time you all went toe to toe.”

Steve clenched his fist at his side. “And did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Give them what they wanted.”

Tony laughed at that. “Once I had the right tools, getting out was easy peasy. Yeah, I built a weapon, one for myself. I was able to hold them off long enough by telling them I needed more parts and more time. Of course, my plans changed just slightly when Schmidt stormed in and told me in no uncertain terms that I had until morning to produce something meaningful on threat of death. I stayed up the rest of the night working on that stupid weapon and then used it to blow a large chunk out of their facility. Then I ran and here I am.”

Natasha drew her brows together. “What kind of weapon was it?”

Tony slumped down further and mumbled to himself. “Geez, I leave behind one interrogation for another.” Then louder, “It was a small energy blaster. Don’t worry about the specifics, they require far too much technological jargon for either of you to possibly understand fully.” Tony rubbed at his temple, pulling it away only to scowl at the blood coating his fingers, blood he promptly wiped onto his makeshift sling. “Would it be at all possible to get a Tylenol, or a glass of Scotch, preferably both? I’m pretty sure my arm is broken and I maybe might have or had a concussion at some point. Either way, my head is pounding.”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “Sure. And while you’re at it, you can talk to our resident scientist and tell him all your ‘technological jargon’.” Steve turned to Natasha and nodded. “Bring him here”.

Natasha walked away without another word, leaving the two of them alone. Steve noted Tony fidgeting the longer Steve watched him in silence.

“Could you stop staring at me like I’ve got some sort of trick up my sleeve? In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly have the capacity to pull any sudden movements nor do I have any decent places to hide anything. Of course, if you’d like to do a full body check yourself, I wouldn’t be opposed, Captain.”

Steve rolled his eyes, used to the flirtation after the few times the two had interacted on several prior occasions. It was Tony’s M.O. and after the first few times, Steve learned not to let it catch him off guard. “Quiet, Stark.” He muttered to himself, “Where’s a gag when you need one?”

Tony smirked, obviously overhearing. “Kinky. Though, it might make things a little harder when you need me to answer your questions.”

“It’d almost be worth it if it offered me just a little peace and quiet out of you for the rest of the night.”

“Well this wouldn’t be happening if I’d had at least some sort of a heads up.”

"I--” He was abruptly cut off when Natasha walked back into the room, followed by an exasperated voice.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say that I’m not that kind of doctor.”

Tony’s head whipped around. “Brucie bear?”

Bruce, who was just as surprised to see him, smiled pleasantly. He began inspecting Tony’s injuries despite his earlier protests. “Glad to see you’re not quite as dead as it appeared, Tony. I was starting to miss you trying to convince me to come work with you.”

“I guess this explains why that never panned out,” Tony mumbled, then louder, “So, you work for the mafia, huh?”

Bruce’s lips became a thin line as he took his time inspecting the larger cut on Tony’s temple.

“So, you two know each other,” Steve surmised.

“I thought we did," Tony replied quietly.

Bruce sighed, opening up his first aid kit to pull out a few things he needed to get to work fixing Tony’s cuts. “This might sting a little.”

“Which part?” Tony asked, a challenge in his eyes.

“Both, I imagine," Bruce answered. “But, I need to clean these so they don’t get infected.”

Tony nodded and relaxed as Bruce got to work.

Steve let Bruce do his thing for a good minute before speaking. “Okay, Stark. Talk.”

Bruce looked like he wanted to object to Steve’s demands, but before he could, Tony started speaking, explaining in great detail with almost manic excitement everything about the weapon that helped him with his escape. No, he didn’t make anything for them. No, he didn’t give them the real blueprints. Yes, he swears. Steve wanted to tune out about halfway through when their conversation delved off course into a conversation of their own about ways to potentially make the weapon more efficient in the future.

Steve let the conversation go on for a good ten minutes before the language being spoken sounded less like English and more like a series of numbers and formulas. “Okay. Can we start speaking English again?”

Tony cut an amused, almost belittling look towards Steve. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

Natasha snorted, and murmured so softly Steve was sure only he’d be able to pick it up. “I can’t hear you”.

Steve scowled at her before turning back to Tony. “What is it exactly that you want from us?”

Tony didn’t hesitate. “To stay dead.”

Steve could admit that he hadn’t been expecting that answer. “I’m almost tempted to go with the easy response here, but, I’m inclined to ask you to elaborate instead.”

“No one is going to be able to find me. I made sure of that.” He inhaled deeply. “So, to make a long story short, I found out that Obadiah Stane, current stand in CEO of Stark Industries, tipped them off toward my involvement with you bunch which led to them taking me and interrogating me, and torturing me—you know, all that fun stuff. Before you ask though-- yeah Cap, I see you with your mouth open—I have no idea what he’s getting out of this or how he’s involved with them in the first place, but, I was able to put two and two together. So this man, my—“ he spit the words out, “mentor, wanted me out of the picture so bad that he figured HYDRA would probably do his dirty work for him. At least that’s the only conclusion I’ve been able to come up with up to this point. There are still a lot of details I have to work out, hence, the reason I need everyone to think I’m dead.” He paused for breath, eyes wild. “You understand? The moment he finds out I’m still alive, the game changes. Right now he has nothing to hide with me safely out of the picture.”

Steve furrowed his brows. “And what makes you so sure about all of this?”

Tony gave him a dark look in return. “I know Obie. He’s a remarkable liar,” he said, tone bitter, hiding something deeper than just these recent events. Steve didn’t press. “He’s power hungry, greedy and—Ow!”

Bruce cringed. “This one is pretty long, sorry. It’s definitely infected.”

Steve spoke before Tony could respond. “So, you want us to help you…how exactly? It seems like you know what you need to do.”

The genius' voice was dripping with venom. “Take him down.”

Steve was shocked into silence for just a moment before grabbing a chair and pulling it close until he could sit across from Tony. Steve knew this game, knew how to negotiate. “And say we decide to help you out, what’s in it for us?”

Tony shrugged, “I guess that’s up to you. What do you want?”

“Weapons.”

Tony laughed. “You and everyone else, buddy. I’m not really in the business of making them anymore though, remember?”

Steve gave Tony a puzzled look. “Should I?”

“Fair enough. I suppose that due to my untimely kidnapping and quote unquote death that he never actually got around to holding that press conference.” Steve caught a glimpse of something in Tony’s eyes before it flickered away. “I’m trying to get SI out of the weapons business.” He paused and shook his head. “That’s an explanation for another day.”

“I’m not looking for a bomb. I’m looking for a reliable supply," Steve assured him. “Weapons. Plus armor for protection. I want to keep my team safe. I want to have the upper hand on HYDRA. They’ve been a problem for far too long and I want to take them out of the equation. As much as you don’t need the ego boost, your products are the best out there. Ten thousand times more reliable than the Hammer tech we somehow ended up with. Help me, help you.”

Tony looked exhausted. Exhausted and more conflicted than Steve had ever seen the youngest Stark. “By saying yes to this, that means that you’ll keep me under the radar, use your skills to help me spy on Obie, gather information that can put him away for a long time. I want to force him into a position where all his lies pile up until he’s practically dug his own grave. I don’t want him to be left with any choice when the cops finally go looking for him.”

Steve paused, suddenly feeling like they weren’t on the same page after all. “…if what you’re saying about Stane is true, Tony, then he’s not the kind of man you can just send to prison. He’s got connections out there higher than the authority, higher than the law. He’s the kind of man you have to put down, a sure way to sever any and all connections he’s got.”

Tony’s spine stiffened and he gently pushed Bruce’s hands away, eyes wide. “You want me to kill Obie?” Any color he may have had in his face drained away.

“Is that going to be a problem, Stark?”

Tony looked away, his eyes landing on Bruce, almost pleading. “I can’t kill him.”

“Then one of us will. Problem solved.” Steve sounded more blase about it than he preferred.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t...I can’t. It’s Obie. He’s…”

“The man who had you kidnapped and tortured. The man who is apparently trying to steal your company right out from under your nose.”

“I know! Fuck! God, just let me...think about this. This is about taking a life.”

Steve shook his head, unwilling to push the matter for now. Not when Tony was still obviously reeling after his escape. “Think about it, let me know what you decide. We’ll do everything else you ask for as long as you get us what we want in return.”

Steve stood up, looked at Bruce. “Get him cleaned up,” and then he looked back at Tony. “You’re negotiating with killers, Tony. We like to keep our business efficient, and that includes popping a guy who will become trouble in the future. You need to figure out what your hang up is here and how far you’re willing to go to get what you want.” Steve turned then and walked away, stopping just at the threshold of the entranceway to the hall, turning his head until his eyes locked with Tony’s. “Some of us have no choice but to get our hands dirty. You’ll do well to remember that if we’re going to work together, Stark.”

The genius puffed up a bit, gathering any bravado he had left when he stared right back at Steve. “ _Sir_ , yes, _s_ _ir_.”

*****

The past three months with HYDRA had taken their toll both physically and mentally on Tony. He knew as much. He felt exhaustion in his blood and his bones, from his fingertips to his toenails, yet, sleep eluded him. All he could do was stare up at the ceiling of his borrowed room in a home he wasn’t familiar with, surrounded by people who possibly wanted to kill him as much as they wanted weapons from him. He’d escaped captivity, sure, escaped the torture that came along with it but had just managed to find himself on the doorstep of another threat, another goon who wasn’t above doing the same thing to him if he didn’t comply with demands---even if this goon did provide him with a pretty comfortable bed and running water.

Tony tossed his good arm over his face while the other was held close to his chest in what wasn’t the most comfortable position possible. Tony shuffled and huffed, engaged in a game of kick the covers until they rested somewhere between the edge of the bed and the floor. It wasn’t long until he found himself pulling them back up and suddenly it wasn’t as comfortable a bed as he thought. The cushioning was too soft, suffocating really, the blankets too warm and then not warm enough, and his pillow seemed to sink into itself until Tony’s neck felt ready to snap at its odd angle.

The sound of relative silence was almost too much when he’d become accustomed to the sounds of footsteps patrolling, a random scream here and there, and the drip drip drip of the leak in his ceiling. That drip had driven him crazy at the time but now he sort of missed it in what was definitely some twisted version of Stockholm syndrome.

Not missed enough to go back, no. The thought alone shot a chill down his spine and set off a voice in his head that told him if he fell asleep he’d wake back up in that stupid warehouse surrounded by henchmen with more brawn than brain.

A spike of anxiety had him shooting up until he was sat ramrod straight in bed. He needed a distraction, that was it. He was good at finding those. Well, he was good at finding them when he was in his own home. He wasn’t sure what this place had to offer, nor was he sure if the good Captain would allow him to take a personal tour of the place. Considering that he had agreed to help them as far as weapons and armor went, though, he felt that maybe he could get away with wandering around just the littlest bit.

Tony planted his feet on the floor and stood up from the bed. Bruce had been nice enough to loan him a pair of pajama pants, bright purple, and a t-shirt, that Bruce assured him wasn’t his, that said Hammer Industries on it. Tony had scowled down at the shirt before letting Bruce know that he wasn’t above accidentally setting it on fire or possibly pouring bleach on it. Or both at the same time. Bruce hadn’t seemed too worried about the threat.

The first place Tony found himself when he ventured outside his room was an admittedly dark and creepy hallway that did not at all remind him of the time he stayed up for 36 hours straight after watching 'The Grudge' and then getting locked outside of his dorm room that suddenly seemed 20 degrees colder and darker. Not at all.

He made his way quietly but quickly down the hall until he found a room with a light on. The kitchen. Thank god.

The brunet padded toward the refrigerator for something cold to drink, his head peeking inside just as someone cleared their throat behind him. He jumped, hitting his head on the inside. “Fuck, shit, ow!” Tony whirled around, an admonishment ready on the tip of his tongue only to see Bruce sitting at the kitchen table, grinning like a fool.

“Sneaking up on people is rude, you know?”

Bruce laughed softly. “I was here first, Tony.” He kicked out a chair for Tony to sit in. “Can’t sleep?”

The genius turned for a moment, pilfering the last root beer from the fridge with a small smile of vindictive victory before sitting in the chair across from his friend. Was Bruce ever his friend?

They sat in companionable silence for a moment.

“You know, Tony…” Bruce started and stopped. Tony frowned until Bruce tried again. “I have enjoyed working with you.”

Tony popped the tab on his root beer and took a sip while staring at his fellow scientist. “I guess just not as much as the whole mob life yeah?”

“It’s not...I’m the resident science guy slash medical doctor despite reminding them that I don’t actually have a degree in medicine slash therapist that I had to remind them I don’t have the temperament for slash man who makes all the calming tea when the rest of them are a bit wired. They don’t use me in the field, which is why I do it. I keep their secrets and they keep mine. And before you ask me what they are,” he said, holding up a hand when he saw Tony open his mouth to ask, “I can’t share that with you. The less people know about me, the better.”

Tony made a face before taking another sip of his root beer. “There’s a lot of things people don’t seem to want to tell me,” he muttered, scratching at the can with his thumbnail.

Tony watched as Bruce pushed up his glasses with his index finger, eyes downcast at the tabletop. “People just want to protect you.”

He chuckled in disbelief. “From who? HYDRA? Whatever it is that goes bump in the night?” Tony took another sip of his drink, eyes on anything but Bruce’s face. “I’ve told you things, Bruce. I’ve opened up to you. I trusted you. You even knew about my involvement with Bucky’s arm and the risks associated with the work and you told me nothing.” He shook his head, finally allowed himself to meet Bruce’s eyes, eyes brewing with a million unspoken apologies. He made his voice as strong as he could. “I don’t need to be protected. I’m not a child anymore.”

Tony could see that Bruce wanted to argue with that because Tony was only 25 years old. Yes, he was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, a certified genius, a holder of several impressive degrees, a brilliant and innovative creator and had the emotional baggage of someone more suited to be in their 40s at least, but the way he looked at the world sometimes, full of hope and naivety and grandeur, further emphasized how very young he actually was. They were all things Bruce had said to him before in some way or another.

“Everyone needs to be protected. The world we live in, it’s not safe. The less you know, to some degree, the easier it is to pretend that the balance is maintained somewhere.”

“And I have a lot of targets painted on my back. It would have been helpful to know where some of those targets might have been coming from. I might have been able to plan differently.”

“Then what, Tony? You have ties to two different mobs right now. Had you known beforehand, what would you have done differently? Your lie would have certainly been less feasible than the truth, which was that you had no idea what was going on at all. You got hurt, and I am sorry for that, I’d give anything for that not to have happened in the first place, but I still believe that you not knowing anything was for the best.”

Tony slapped his hand down on the table. “See? Everyone acts like they know what’s better for me more than I do. I’m a genius, a futurist. I can work things out faster than most people. I can imagine a variety of scenarios and outcomes based on the information I have prior knowledge to.” Tony shut his eyes. “My dad thought it would be better for me to go away to a boarding school at seven. He thought it would be better for me to learn how to behave like a man and not a little girl. He thought it would teach me to focus on only my work and nothing else. Obie thought he knew what was better for me, thought he could mold me into his little Obie-clone. He thought I needed a break after I told him I was done making weapons. I shared my new and improved ideas and he said that I was too young to know what I was dealing with and it’d be better for me to let him handle everything. Now I want to take him down and Steve thinks it’d be better for me if I was open to killing him?”

Bruce sat there quietly, brows furrowed a bit. “What do you think is best for you?”

“I don’t know,” Tony admitted. “I’m still trying to work that out, but the point is that I’m the one who should get to decide what’s better for me…even if…even if I end up deciding that it’s better for me if we don’t kill Obie.”

“Even after what he’s put you through? That’d be enough of a reason for most people to kill another human being.”

“Who do you think stepped up to the plate and helped me out when my parents died? Who do you think mentored me and helped me settle into my new role as CEO? Who do you think was the only family I had left? I looked up to him. I trusted him. He gave me years of his life, which I can only hopefully assume was an act of kindness on his part, but I know it’s enough for me to have problems with killing the man.” He looked at Bruce. “I’m already responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, just because of the weapons I’ve made. Bruce, my weapons have been getting sold under the table to terrorist organizations, dictators, Russia...and people are dying. Innocent people are dying because my weapons are so goddamn fucking effective. I thought I was protecting the good guys, but who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Who am I to decide that?”

Bruce sipped at his tea quietly for a moment. “I guess…I guess this is something you’ll have to figure out yourself, Tony, and I trust that you will. Like you said, you’re a genius.”

Tony smiled, let the room fall to silence for awhile. He’d needed to vent, at least a little bit and Bruce had always been good as a steady ear even as much as he protested that he didn’t have the temperament to go along with being a makeshift therapist.

When the silence got to go on a bit too long, Tony’s doubts and fears trying to make a valiant return, he cleared his throat and pointed at the papers littering the table that he’d only just noticed. “Uh, what’s all this?”

Bruce tweaked his glasses and frowned down at the pages. “This, this is a failed exploration into gamma radiation and more specifically the effects of reversing contamination of living subjects whose health effects have accumulated at an accelerated rate. I still haven’t figured out how these specific subjects experienced accelerated cell production causing the radiation poisoning to spread as fast as it has, but I thought I was getting closer until I hit right around-“ he pointed at the table where a little bit of writing had spilled off the page, “here.”

Tony pursed his lips in thought. “What about that right there? Shouldn’t that be Y subscript theta over A? Not B?”

Bruce began scribbling furiously at the pages. “What about here?” He gestured at another stack of papers. “If I change that then it would alter—“

“Yeah, but not if you just accounted for the added—“

“No no, there can’t be anything added or it messes with the half life of the alpha—“

“Open your mind! Think four, five, ten dimensions. Don’t get stuck in that three dimension space that you call your head.”

And with that they were off, shooting ideas off each other, back and forth until they ended up on the subject of the practicality of an actual portal ray and the applications as well as the safety hazards that might come along with such an invention.

Tony was just shouting his opinions on tears in all of space and time when someone cleared their throat. Both men turned to look at the intruder.

Bruce was the first to speak, hand halfheartedly trying to cover up the large amount of formulas and tech design that had ended up all over the table, some of it in what Tony only realized halfway through was permanent marker. “Hey, Steve”, Bruce said. “Something up?”

Steve was resting against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “Just a little in the way of plans and all that.”

Tony stood up then, a yawn he’d been suppressing finally forcing its way out. “Well that’s my cue. Night.” And he walked out without another word.

Steve watched him go. He hadn’t meant for Tony to leave and he was sort of hoping to fill the brunet in on their plans, but the kid looked tired and Steve knew he was probably having trouble sleeping. After a moment he sat at the table and took the tea Bruce offered him.

“So I spoke with Natasha and Bucky. We’re in agreement that we need to bring in Thor, Clint and Sam as well.”

“Seems like things might get nasty pretty fast then?”

Steve nodded and stared down at his hands. He rubbed the pad of his thumb between his eyebrows. “Barton and Romanoff are going undercover, scoping out any leads in relation to Stark Industries and Stane’s whereabouts. We’ll need to know as much as we can when it comes time to take him out. Bucky, Sam and Thor are going to be keeping a closer eye on HYDRA and pay a visit to the warehouse Tony was kept in, see if they can scavenge anything of import. In the mean time, we need to get a hold of some supplies for Stark to work with, have him make a list of what he needs and give him a space in your lab. I’ll check in in about a week. That should be more than enough time for Stark to at least have some sort of blueprints ready to show off. I’m going to need you to stay on him to make sure he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. I don’t need any chunk of my home blown up in an effort to escape.”

Bruce nodded. “I will, but Steve?”

Steve became a bit wary at the tone of Bruce’s voice. “Yeah?”

“You don’t need to be so hard on him. Tony’s a good kid.”

Steve tilted his head a bit. “It’s not a good idea to trust someone so quickly, especially considering where he just came from.”

“He’s...you need to trust me. I know he rubs you the wrong way. He’s like that. He’s abrasive and sometimes careless when it comes to...okay so he’s completely tactless. Just...he’s not a killer. He’s young and he’s still very naive and trusting. Stane is someone who meant a lot to him. Probably still does.”

Steve tapped his fingers against the table. “He’s a genius. He needs to think like one.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“I know, Bruce, but that doesn’t change to fact that I need to be able to trust him to do what needs to be done in the end.”

“Then give him a reason to trust you first. So far all he knows is that you want weapons and armor from him. He just escaped from HYDRA. You know what they’re like.”

He pointed a finger at Bruce. “I’ll consider it, but the kid also needs to learn respect.”

*****

Three days later Steve found himself sitting at the kitchen table, his lunch in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He was used to the others giving him a hard time because he still enjoyed the feel of paper between his hands over that of the admittedly impressive tablets all the others sported. Also, you couldn’t trace what someone found in the newspaper like you could so easily from a person’s internet search history. Yes, he knew he was a paranoid fucker, but he didn’t particularly feel like risking too much of his organization by becoming reliant on electronic devices that were more likely to be tapped into by outside parties. And maybe, just maybe, might have a thing for the New York times crosswords puzzles found at the back. It wasn’t a big deal.

When he finished eating, he folded up his paper and stood to walk his plate to the sink where he could rinse it off, mind suddenly not on the elections that were just around the corner but instead on Bucky and his arm that had been giving his trouble as of late. He could tell every time they talked lately that it was causing him pain in the way that Bucky would twitch the fingers on his flesh hand towards the metal one as if he wanted to grip it to stave off whatever was hurting him. A state of the art prosthetic apparently came with a price, but Bucky still insisted that it was worth it just to have the full range, plus some, mobility that a normal prosthetic limb just couldn’t provide.

It was one thing he had to give the youngest Stark. He’d given Bucky back a piece of himself and with it a sense of purpose again. For that, Steve had always been grateful.

He’d seen Stark around from time to time, at different socialite events, places to get drunk and make business happen, but he’d never done much more than ignore a slight pass made by the younger man or walk right by him and his group of latchers-on as they cooed and awed over the brunet. It wasn’t until Tony had taken an interest in Bucky’s arm after a random meeting in a coffee shop of all places Bucky could have been, that Steve really had any incentive to say more than a cursory ‘hello’ or ‘if you’ll excuse me’.

Bucky had come back home that day, eyes slightly confused and just a little bit off balance, telling him about the things Stark promised and the results he guaranteed would ‘blow his fucking mind’. He told him how he thought the kid was trying to get his number at first until he’d started poking and prodding at the lost limb, asking Bucky about mobility and pain levels. It had been a whirlwind meeting, Bucky said, over almost as soon as it began and ending with a card pressed into Bucky’s palm and an appointment to meet Tony in his workshop that upcoming Saturday.

Steve was with him every step of the way, determined that if someone was going to work on Bucky while he was in one of his most vulnerable states, then he was going to be there to make sure nobody tried to pull anything over on his oldest friend. And, yeah, he’d gone in expecting it from the infamous Tony Stark, but about 4 appointments in, Steve finally figured he didn’t have much to worry about at all. At least not when it came to Stark screwing over Bucky. No, his attention was placed elsewhere, about 80% focused on Bucky’s new arm and the other 20% focused on flirting endlessly with Steve.

It was to rile him up, he could tell by the way Stark would smile excitedly if Steve so much as huffed in annoyance. Bucky had assured him that he could handle the rest of his appointments alone if Steve needed a break from it all, but Steve always turned down the offer. Bucky was his best friend, even if he didn’t need to be there, he wanted to. And, okay, he could admit that as much as Tony annoyed the hell out of him at times, he was also a very attractive man and sometimes Steve really enjoyed the cocky little smile that would show up anytime Steve responded to a particularly out there flirtation. It didn’t mean anything really, because Steve didn’t even have the time to seriously contemplate something so time consuming as a relationship, let alone with a quick witted, loose tongued, smart ass kid.

Steve washed his dish and set it in the rack to dry before making his way to Bruce’s lab, which had already been taken over by Tony under Bruce’s supervision. Though, maybe supervision wasn’t the right word because Tony and Bruce were practically founding members of what was quickly becoming a scientific frat house. Even Clint had taken to calling the duo Science Bros much to Tony’s amusement. Bruce didn’t seem to mind the nickname much either, on the contrary, he actually seemed to enjoy the kid’s company, smiling easier than Steve had seen him smile in a long time.

When he walked into the space he was surprised to find Tony working on Bucky’s arm. The two sat chatting about circuits and rerouting servos to produce a greater efficiency when the arm was moved in a series of quick motions. Tony prodded at a few different areas of the arm and then voice recording any reactions that came as a result of the stimuli. Steve watched the two as they moved through a set of tests until Tony gave a quick ‘ahah!’ after Bucky winced due to a jab somewhere around the wrist plates.

Without a word to either of them, he took a seat opposite Tony and watched closely as Tony carried on with his work.

“Okay, thumb slowly again, only this time see if you can hold it for five seconds,” the genius murmured, the magnifying goggles on his head making him look somewhat comical. Bucky complied and watched as certain parts on the inside seemed to work together fluidly. So far there was no pain.

Bucky moved on to each finger, one at a time the way Tony instructed.

“Now your wrist.”

Bucky bent it, curled it, rolled it. The rolling seemed to be the part that caused him pain and he yelped slightly.

“Sorry. I think I figured out where the problem is though.”

“Thank goodness for small miracles,” Bucky said through clenched teeth.

“None of that, Mr Grouchy Pants. It’s something I can fix in a matter of hours. Hopefully you guys have no, ah hm, business, to take care of before dinner.”

Bucky snorted. “No business today. Lucky me, I enjoy sitting here for hours with nothing to do.”

“Good. Then we can get started,” Tony said with a small grin. He looked up and startled. “Oh, Rogers.” He furrowed his brow, looking around for anyone else who might have sneaked up on him.  “When did you get here?”

“Not too long ago.” He looked at Bucky. “You think he’ll survive?”

Tony shrugged. “As long as he stops acting like a baby, yeah.”

“Hey,” Bucky chimed in, pointing a finger at the genius with his good hand. “I can still throttle you with this hand, punk.”

That caused Tony to chuckle. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He picked up his tablet, and stared at the schematics for Bucky’s arm as he worked out where to dive in. “You want me to knock you out? Then you don’t have to worry about getting bored. And really, I remember how much you whined when we were first doing this, I could do without it this time around.”

“No thanks. Knowing you I’ll wake up with sound effects every time I move the arm.”

Tony smiled wide, eyes sparkling with mischief. He gave Steve a gleeful look that made Steve smile back. “That’s actually an entertaining idea.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare, Stark.”

Tony just rolled his eyes, still smiling albeit a little bit smaller though just as brilliant. “What? And risk my life? I don’t think I’m ready to rid the world of this charm and these good looks. Well, I mean when they find out I’m still alive.”

“Idiot,” Bucky said with a sigh, but Steve thought it sounded almost fond. Despite the pain, his friend seemed a bit more lighthearted now that his pain was being addressed and possibly fixed. Steve figured he might count that as a point in his Reasons To Trust Tony Stark book. Just maybe.

“You know, I can still program this arm to slap you in the face at random intervals.”

Steve hid a grin behind his hand.

Bucky looked at Steve and glared, a ‘don’t you dare laugh’ unspoken between them.

Tony gestured with a hand. “Just open the laptop and watch something. You’ve got options. Quit being a Grinch.”

Steve shrugged and did the honors of grabbing a nearby laptop and opening up Bucky’s Netflix queue to distract him as Tony worked. The sounds of Jurassic Park filled the room, punctuated only by the sounds of Tony’s tinkering. Steve found himself watching Tony out of the corner of his eye almost as much as he found himself watching the actual movie playing. He wasn’t saying as much as Steve remembered he used to, but Steve figured that had more to do with the fact that Tony was wary of him now that he knew who Steve was exactly.

Steve scowled at himself when he realized that he was just the slightest bit put out that Tony wasn’t flirting with him this time around. Definitely something he’d have to work out later, when he was preferably alone, and in the mean time he’d have to focus instead on the T-Rex chasing those kids and not on trying to guess what it was that was going on in the genius’ head.

When the first movie ended, Steve began another though Tony ended up finishing his work about half way through. He lifted his goggles from his eyes and blinked a few times, gaze on the far wall before shaking his head and focusing on the two men sat before him. “Good as new. Well, new is a relative term. It shouldn’t have any more problems for awhile, but since it’s still basically a prototype, though a Stark prototype is basically a finished product years ahead of the game, I can’t say it won’t have problems in the future. We should do random tune ups from now on, to make sure everything stays in tip top shape.”

Steve just nodded at Tony, appreciative of his help. Bucky was sitting up, flexing his arm, moving it around with a smile and even used it to lightly punch Steve in the arm. Judging by the look on Steve’s face, lightly was probably optimistic. Bucky just gave a small shrug. He looked happy though, and Steve would give anything to see his friend like that forever.

It was interesting for him to note how happy Tony looked as well. It was the same look Tony always had when he was doing his mad scientist thing on Bucky’s arm, but he never noticed just how relaxed the genius exactly was when doing something that went completely over the rest of their heads. Even Bruce had expressed his astonishment at the things Tony could accomplish, especially considering how young he was. Bruce seemed to emphasize that a lot lately.

“Not bad for a kid.”

Tony scowled at that. “Not a kid.”

“Whatever you say, Stark.” Bucky was quiet for a moment and then continued, more genuinely, “Thanks. Again.”

“No problem.” He started putting his tools away and ran his good hand through his hair, which is when Steve noticed Tony had done all that with one hand, the other still held in a sling against his chest. Steve was just that much more impressed.

Steve gave the brunet a once over despite himself. Tony looked tired. Tired and like he could probably do with a few sandwiches to eat as well. It didn’t take a genius to notice that Tony’s idea of self-care wasn’t exactly good for him.

“Do you want Bruce to get you something for the pain?”

Tony’s gaze shifted up to Steve, his face puzzled. “What?” He looked back down at his arm. “No. No I’m...I’m good.”

“It might help you sleep.”

Tony eyed Steve warily, very obviously changing the subject. “I’ve got something to give to you, but I’ll have to explain how it works first.”

Steve rolled with the subject change. No point in pushing. He definitely knew Tony was stubborn, almost as stubborn as Steve himself was.

“Okay. What is it?”

Tony held up a thumb drive. “Lots of encrypted data. Usernames. Passwords. Account information. Stealth.”

Steve just blinked. “Right. That’s Natasha’s area. We should probably all sit down and go over everything sometime soon.”

The genius quirked an eyebrow and pocketed the thumb drive. “Okay. Call them to assemble or whatever it is you do and I’ll get things set up.”

“You need a hand with that?”

“No thanks, Captain,” Tony responded. “I think I got this. Unless you’re talking about lending a hand in a very different and specific kind of way,” he added with a leer.

This was familiar, Steve knew how to work with this side of Tony. Steve gave a small huff and turned to leave. “Let’s be ready in five minutes.”

Tony sloppily saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

Steve felt his shoulders slump a little. “That’s not going away anytime soon, is it?” he muttered in defeat before walking out.

The genius was grinning. He grabbed whatever he would need and made his way upstairs. It didn’t take long for everyone to crowd around and there were a lot more people that had shown up than Tony recognized.

“All right,” Steve started, “introduction time. Everyone knows Tony Stark. Stark, this is my team. Well some of my team. They are first response if you need them.”

Tony nodded.

“Romanoff, Barnes, Barton and Banner you’ve already at least met once or twice.” Steve jerked his head towards a bigger blond. “This is Thor,” and then pointed at a dark skinned, smiling man who had a falcon of all creatures resting on his shoulders, “and this is Sam Wilson.” They’ll be working with Bucky to gather intel on the warehouse you were kept in. Any and all information you have on where you were kept should be noted and passed on to these three. Romanoff and Barton will handle gathering information on Stane and his connection with HYDRA and Schmidt.”

“Is this a mob or a spy agency?” Tony asked, genuinely confused.

Steve gave him a smirk. “I know where to look for the right people.”

“Right right. Guess it works for what I’m asking from you. Anyway,” he pulled out the thumb drive again and tossed it to Natasha. “Cap says this is your area of expertise so you hold onto it. If you want intel on Stane you’re going to have to get into my building, which, if you aren’t me or a card holder, is actually more difficult than breaking into the White House. Take it from someone who’s actually broken into the White House on several occasions. Drunk. It was a dare. Moving on. The first step to getting in needs to happen from the outside. I can only search for so much out here before the computer picks up my patterns records the data. If Stane see’s that, he’ll know I’m still out here alive and kicking and we can’t have that.”

He pointed at Natasha and Clint. “I can provide you both with disguises and set you up with jobs working in the building. It won’t be too hard to pull it off seeing as Stark Industries goes through interns and employees and consultants like water goes through gills.  When you’re in, that flash drive will provide you with passwords, account numbers, etcetera etcetera. Play your parts well and nobody will be the wiser. There will also be comm units and subtle under armor for protection. Lightweight, not bulky, bulletproof.  Also, JARVIS will be with you once you enter the building. You’ll need to plug that drive into one of the main computers and enter the first password on the list when prompted to connect with him. From then on, he’ll be there to help you out.”

“Who?” Steve asked quickly.

“My AI?”

Everyone gave him a blank stare.

“You know, Artificial Intelligence?” Tony waved his hand, “Bruce knows who I’m talking about. He’s the genius inside the coding.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’ll talk about it later. Thanks, Stark. Everyone dismissed.” he added with a sigh and waited as everyone but Tony shuffled out the door.

Tony watched Steve, a slightly nervous tick taking over his hands. Steve thought it might be a good time to approach him. He could extend an olive branch.

“What you’ve done for Bucky, it’s really been great. He’s a completely different person and you didn’t have to do that and I wanted to say thank you,” he said rather quickly.

The genius gave a shrug. “Might as well put my talents to use.”

“Most wouldn’t have done it for free.”

Tony grinned. “Consider him a guinea pig then. If that makes you feel any better.”

Steve scratched his head. “Are you sure you don’t--”

“I need you to do something for me.”

Steve stopped. “Okay?”

“Pepper and Rhodey. Uh...Virginia Potts and Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes. The two people I trust most in this world. I need to let them know I’m okay.”

The blond tilted his head and gave the genius a scrutinizing look. “I hope you’re not asking what I think you’re asking.”

“I need to contact them. They’ll help me. I know they will.”

“Not happening. I’m drawing the line there. They can’t get involved in this.”

Tony huffed impatiently. “Why the hell not?”

Steve spread his arms and looked around. Looked at Tony. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve landed into some very dangerous waters.”

“Through no fault of my own.”

Steve pointed a finger and stopped him. “It doesn’t matter. That puts them in danger and puts us at risk of being found out. You’re dead and you’re going to stay dead until this plan of yours is finished. I can’t compromise what we already have going by bringing in more civilians.”

“This isn’t a war, Captain!”

“Are you sure about that, Stark? You’ve seen first hand what’s going on. You’ve lived it.”

“But I didn’t ask for it!” Tony argued.

“Yeah! Neither did I!” Steve shot back. “You play the hand you’re dealt and strategize. No, this isn’t a war that everyone is aware of. It’s in the background, it’s everywhere, but it’s quiet and there is more at stake than you might have ever realized. We work together and then we move on to the next thing.”

“You,” Tony said angrily, “work together. With your people. I have to trust that you guys won’t somehow turn against me or make even more demands from me than you already have.”

“I’m letting the fact you apparently have an AI as one of the only lines of defense for my men going into what I’m deeming hostile territory go and I’m trusting that you won’t fuck that up for us. No more people are going to be involved. None. We’re supposed to stay under the radar. You’re not accustomed to this, but I need you to understand. This is for your protection. This is for the protection of everyone on my team. You know what the people out there are capable of and I’m not putting my team, you, or even the people you care about at risk because you can’t handle not having your friends in your corner. Is that what you want? For them to get hurt, because they will if you involve them in this.”

“No,” the brunet said through clenched teeth. “No, that is not what I want.”

“Then we understand each other?”

“It’s your call, _Captain_.” Tony made sure he said that with every ounce of spite he could.

“Yes. It is my call. And you’ll do well to remember that.”

Tony looked like he was about to protest even further, but he dropped his shoulders and turned. “You’ll have your weapons and armor soon. I have work to do. See you around, Rogers.”

Steve watched him walk away and exhaled, bowing his head and rubbing the back of his neck. If this plan of theirs didn’t end up being the death of him, there was no doubt in his mind that Tony Stark would be.

*****

The days with Tony in their care flew by in what was mostly, surprisingly, silence. Steve had very little doubt that the reasoning for Tony’s sudden case of lock lip was their small disagreement the week prior. That was fine. Great even. It gave Steve time to catch up on his regular business, business he’d let fall slightly to the side since Tony’s appearance at his door.

Not anymore though. For as long as Tony decided to keep his distance and didn’t ‘accidentally’ blow up something, Steve would give him space to get over what really equated to a temper tantrum because he hadn’t gotten his way. And he wouldn’t get his way, no matter how many quiet glares he received or how many rooms suddenly emptied upon his entrance, or how many conversations stopped dead the second Tony laid eyes on him. Steve’s will was stronger than Tony’s petulance, he was sure of it even if the longer it went on the more annoyed Steve got.

It didn’t matter. So what if Tony ignored him? So what if it kind of really bothered him just a bit? It was...disrespectful is all. That was it. It was a much more reasonable explanation than Bucky’s theory that Steve was just upset because Tony didn’t want to ‘play’ with him. No, that was ridiculous, they weren’t children on the playground, a fact he’d made sure to let Bucky know, just before he slammed the other man to the spar mat, pinning him until he cried uncle.

Bucky had laid on the ground afterwards, chest heaving as he caught his breath, his eyes narrowed at Steve who’d barely broken a sweat, and kindly informed Steve that he needed to get over himself and stop letting Starks bratty attitude affect him as much as it was. He’d sat up then, punched Steve lightly in the calf and continued to explain all the ways in which Steve’s aggression skyrocketed to unhealthy levels any time he was annoyed and the others couldn’t handle the aggression fueled training sessions much longer.

And, yeah, okay. Steve understood where he was coming from there. His attitude had maybe been a little rough around the edges this week, but, that had less to do with Stark than it had to do with his men screwing up a simple shipment. The third one this year, which was really three too many.

Steve would have to pay them a visit pretty soon, a fact that he jotted down into his agenda, all thoughts of Tony pushed to the back of his head as he focused instead on whether or not he’d given his man Lorenzo one too many chances to prove himself working down on the docks. Either way it went, after Steve’s visit, Lorenzo wouldn’t be making anymore mistakes in the future, that was for sure.

Steve groaned, pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. When he opened them his gaze caught on the Newspaper in the center of the table, untouched and brimming with information Steve could probably use. Also, maybe he had time for a quick game of Sudoku in the back.

Steve grabbed the paper and allowed himself to relax back into his seat, if only for a moment. His eyes scanned the pages, and maybe the newspaper wasn’t the best idea to relax with when every other story had something or another to do with Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries, or more speculations as to the ‘unknown’ whereabouts of Anthony Edward Stark.

Steve sighed and kept reading; it was just his luck that’d he’d set aside work for more work, though it was satisfying to know that he and his people were still ahead of the media which, okay, wasn't too hard when one of the largest New York newspapers, the Daily Bugle, was run by J. Jonah Jameson, notorious for publishing articles that tended to focus more on pop culture figures than really hard hitting journalism.

Case in point, this weeks sensational article was all about the possibility of Tony Stark’s alleged trip to Afghanistan where he and his company were testing their weapons on small towns when Stark wasn’t busy entertaining his latest conquest between the sheets, who was rumored to be the wife of a man killed during one of Stark's latest rounds of testing.

Steve wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned the page with a little more force than was particularly necessary. It was just, he wondered what it was like, to be as young as Tony and living smack dab in the middle of the media’s lime light.

Steve’s head rose slowly, a faint noise making its way toward him. It sounded like...whirring of some sort. Possibly a remote control car like the ones he’d seen kids play with up and down the streets, or the ones he’d seen Clint and Thor racing up and down the hallways despite his warnings. Steve narrowed his eyes toward where the noise was coming from, he’d fallen over enough of those cars to last a lifetime and wasn’t in the mood for a repeat performance. Lord only knows the two of them wouldn’t clean up after themselves.

As the noise got closer, Steve became less and less sure it was a remote car, mostly because he could usually hear Clint and Thor giggling to themselves between curses by now, yet the hall remained silent, but also because he had the distinct feeling he was being watched.

The noise stopped briefly, though Steve stayed alert, waiting-- and there it was again. He stood up from his chair and turned toward the entrance way.

When he looked down, he saw what had to be the most ridiculous thing he’d ever laid eyes on. There, before him, was a creature made of metal with two large yellow unblinking eyes peering up at him. The thing chirped at him, actually chirped and waved its tiny arms around and around, rolling forward until it nudged Steve’s leg, forcing him to take a step back.

“Why--why is there a tiny robot rolling around in here?” Steve asked to who, he wasn’t sure. There was no one around to answer him except for the robot which didn’t seem inclined to answer him in any way.

Steve took a cautious step back, not trusting the creature even though it had yet to make any move to attack.

“Hello, Steve,” came the robotic voice, low and menacing yet still carrying that robotic edge. “Would you like to play a game?” Steve stared down at it, eyes wide until the creature’s metal eyebrows began to waggle and its voice went back to its high pitched chirp as it zoomed its way around his legs.

Steve’s mouth popped open, brows drawn in as he watched it. “What….what’s going on here?” he asked again to the empty room.

The bots voice came through again, the quality of its voice like an extension of its chirps. “I like big butts and I cannot lie.”

Steve shook his head in disbelief as the bot ran into the leg of the table, paused, and then zoomed around the room and in between Steve’s legs making a long drawn out ‘weeeeeeeeeeee’ as it went.

Was he dreaming? This had never happened to him before, he had nothing to base this sort of interaction on and was unsure if smashing the thing was an overreaction or not.

Steve’s eye caught on the little rectangular green screen in the center of the bots chest when it briefly paused near a wall. “Sergeant Nuts-N-Bolts,” he read aloud, sounding the words out before mouthing them quietly to himself.

“Yeah, that’s his name, don’t wear it out.”

Steve looked up to meet Tony’s eye and suddenly everything made a lot more sense. “This is...your doing,” he stated.

Tony tucked his good hand in the pocket of his borrowed hoodie and shrugged. “Yeah, well. He was bored. Heard there might be a hot blond in the kitchen and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Don’t worry, he’s as impressed as I am. Was that shirt painted on or do you shop in the junior miss section of the GAP?”

Steve ignored the flirtation and focused on the more important aspect which was that there was a tiny robot running amok in his home. “Why?”

Tony grinned wickedly. “Why was he impressed or why was he bored? I mean, really, I’m sure he's impressed for the same reason anyone with eyes would be but he’s bored because he gets lonely. Bruce and I can’t give all of our time to him so I told him to go play.”

Steve shook his head. “No, why is it here?”

“First of all, Captain, he is not an it, he is a he. Secondly, he’s standing right here and it’s rude to talk about someone like they aren’t even in the room when you and I both can clearly see him there, running into the wall--” Tony paused and frowned, though just for a moment. “That’s not supposed to happen, I’ll fix it. Thirdly, his name is Sergeant Major Nuts-N-Bolts.” Tony held up his hand in a stop motion when Steve opened his mouth to object and pointed at the bot where the name had in fact changed on his little screen. Tony grinned smugly and almost proud. “He’s already moved up in the ranks. You can’t say he hasn’t earned it, that sonuvabitch.”

A small noise escaped Steve's throat, completely lost for words.

Tony laughed when the bot raced into Steve’s leg again, hard enough that he stumbled back into the table. “Pretty neat, huh?” He addressed the bot, cooing as if talking to a child or a small animal. “Wave to the Captain now,” and laughed delightedly when he did just that. “Okay, a bit more complicated. Remember what I taught you though. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Eyes and ears and mouth and nose. Head, shoulders knees and toes. Knees and toes. Alright!”

Steve, for his part, could only watch the spectacle with what was mostly feigned annoyance to cover what was a sense of growing amusement and maybe a little awe. “That’s uh--something.” He raised one brow, a question on the tip of his tongue. “Where did he come from?”

Tony rolled his eyes with a scoff. “My mind.” He held out his hands. “These babies helped. I made him.”

“And when did you make him exactly?”

Tony grinned wide. “About three nights ago? To be fair, he’s been in my head for awhile, but then I figured I’d take a break from your list of demands and ahh ahh, Steve. Before you say anything, I’ve been working on your stuff during most of my waking and a few of my resting hours so don’t get on my case about distractions via toys. He’s a learning bot, not as advanced as DUM-E or U, but still very intelligent…..I’m surprised you didn’t notice I was gone though, usually you’re around hovering in some corner.”

Steve mouthed DUM-E and U to himself, trying to figure out which part he wanted to focus on first before settling with the last part of Tony’s rambling. “You haven’t exactly stayed in any room I’ve entered this last week. I was pretty sure you were avoiding me.” Did Steve sound put out? He didn’t mean to sound put out. Hopefully Tony wouldn’t notice.

The heavens must have been on Steve’s side in that moment because Tony didn’t do much more than shrug his shoulders, his good hand reaching down to pat Nuts-N-Bolts’ head or--maybe those just counted as eyes. Either way the bot whirred excitedly. “Yeah, I was. It’s in the past though, let’s just move on.”

“Fine by me.” Steve shifted, his arms crossing over his chest, and watched Tony tease the bot for a minute or five. “So…” he waited until Tony looked up at him expectantly, “is he a spy?”

“You caught me,” the genius snarked, hand flying up rather ridiculously into the air. “He’s here to watch you get undressed and then report back to me. In hindsight I should have installed a better camera but that can always be fixed.”

Steve huffed a breath that sounded a little too much like a laugh for his tastes. “You know, it’s gotten to the point where it wouldn’t surprise me if that's what he was actually made for.”

Tony smirked. “You say that like you still don’t believe me.” He pet the bot again, fingers gentle along the metal. “He’s very curious, he’s practically a teenager in bot years. Don’t worry though. I told him that under absolutely no circumstances is he allowed to cat call you at any point or make a pass at your virtue.” He spoke to the bot then. “Isn’t that right, Sergeant? Uh huh, that’s daddy’s job.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered to himself. “This isn’t my life.”

“Karma,” Tony practically sung.

“Is that so? I’m going to have to declare unfair punishment for a crime I haven’t committed.”

Tony mock scowled at Steve. “Sergeant Major Nuts-N-Bolts is not a punishment. Why would you say that? You’re going to break his circuit board. He loves you already, Captain.”

“Aye Aye, Captain.” The bot chirped and Steve’s nose wrinkled. “I...love..you?” Nuts-N-Bolts said, words drawn out as if he were trying to understand the phrase before repeating them a lot surer than before, tiny hand clamped onto Steve’s pant leg. “I love you!”

Steve shook his head and couldn’t restrain himself from smiling amusedly down at the bot who had taken to zooming around the room again, this time chirping ‘love, love, love you’ over and over in that high pitched voice.

When Steve looked up from the havoc being caused by the bot he found the genius staring at him, a smile on his lips but eyes that were surprisingly unreadable at the moment. They kept up staring, something curling in the pit of Steve’s stomach the longer it went on, until Tony broke his gaze away and Steve felt himself almost instantly sag in relief.

“In all seriousness, you ever notice how dark and drab it is in here sometimes? You guys need to lighten up and who better to help than an adorable robot who has an even more adorable creator? It’s really a win all around if you ask me.”

Steve sighed, could almost feel the tension floating back into the room. He crouched down until he could gesture for Sergeant Major Nuts-N-Bolts to come near, hoping to maybe draw in some of the manic cheer the bot exuded. He kept his eyes firmly on the bot while speaking to Tony. “It’s not easy to lighten up in this line of business. Hell, it’s hard enough learning to trust people, hard enough to earn their trust, that by the end of the day ‘lightening up’ just becomes something you write a note to self about and never follow through with.” Steve winced to himself, his words depressing to even himself. He reached his hand out and ran his index finger softly along the bots metal exterior. He looked up at Tony from under his lashes, ready to change the subject as fast as possible. “Did you build this guy with one hand?”

Tony was staring again, that unreadable look shifting in and out of focus. “Uh, what?” He shook his head. “No. uh--” Tony tugged at his sling a little. “It’s getting better and I thought I’d test it out by working. I mean, I can’t exactly make all these things you ask for with the assistance of only one hand. I mean, I get the work done, so plus, even if afterwards my arm hurts and Bruce yells at me to take it easy--Not a very good watchdog you got, Captain. He’s spent more time trying to get me to rest than work.”

Steve frowned. This was the first he was hearing about Tony being in pain, though, really, maybe Steve should have assumed. It hadn’t even been two weeks since the genius had shown up bleeding on his doorstep and yet here he was, being forced by Steve to work through it. Steve felt like a jackass. “I’m--I’m going to need you to show me inside him.” Steve grimaced at himself, that hadn’t been what he was trying to say. He tried to backtrack. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that--”

“You don’t trust me.” Tony supplied, voice carefully blank.

Steve shrugged half heartedly. “I just want to make sure he’s going to be safe to have around.”

“Bruce can vouch for him, even though he’s no fun and repeatedly told me I was wasting my time building something just for the amusement of others. Sometimes he reminds me just how old he really is. I can show you though, Nuts-N-Bolts has--well, he’s a learning bot so he hears commands and improves over time, but--” Tony wrinkled his nose. “This would be easier to just show you. Right now. I’ll show you right now.”

Steve looked down at his work spread out over the table and then back to the bot currently attempting to climb up Tony’s leg. “Sure. Let’s go.”

The blonde followed Tony out of the room and down the halls until they reached what Natasha called the science dungeon, a project they’d originally intended for Bruce but had done just as nicely for Tony. When they arrived, Tony got right down to brass tacks, explaining everything using words that Steve could follow or stopping to explain when he couldn’t. He circled Steve, instructing him to open up various compartments and watching patiently as Steve took a look around inside of the bot. Overall, it was a very enlightening and informative lesson, one where Steve actually found himself enjoying the other man's presence.

When they were finished, Tony turned Nuts-N-Bolts back on with a flourish of his hands over his keyboard and they both watched as the bot whirred back to life, chirping insistently at them both. Steve tapped his foot against the floor before grinning. “We should use him to wake up Barton. He always did hate that horse head scene from the Godfather--we should do a little re enactment.”

Tony stared at him. “I don’t want him broken,” he said flatly.

Steve rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you can’t just fix him right back up.”

“And waste more time on a project not designated by the list? Color me shocked, Captain.”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to lighten the place up a bit, what’s lighter than a little good humored pranking?”

Tony didn’t speak for a full minute, eyes focused on Steve in a way that made him feel just a little exposed. He was trying to refrain from folding his arms over his chest when Tony snapped his fingers a few times and pointed at Steve, expression excited as if he’d just solved a tough equation. “You’re a secret troll!”

Steve huffed, mock affronted. “That’s captain troll to you.”

The genius laughed, amusement etched on every plane of his face, before swooping down and grabbing the bot. Tony spoke to Nuts-N-Bolts as he exited the room. “That’s enough. We have to leave. I don’t want troll to be a part of your everyday vernacular and the Captain there is a bad influence already.”

Steve smiled and watched as they both left the room, the bots high voice floating back with. “I loveeee the Cap-TAIN!”  

Steve was surprised later that night when the bot found him again, chirping excitedly as it zoomed around his legs, and periodically into his legs. He was even more surprised that he didn’t mind the company the bot provided even if it did follow him everywhere. LIterally everywhere.

For four days Nuts-N-Bolts was wherever Steve looked, chasing after him to the bathroom, to stand guard as Steve showered, to watch him eat, to watch Steve work in his office or chirp at him while he worked out in the gym. The bot had even taken to sleeping at the foot of Steve’s bed after the first night where he wouldn’t stop tapping at Steve’s door until Steve gave up and let him inside where he’d remained silent until Steve woke up the next morning.

He got used to the bot, had even taken to making sure the door was held open until Nuts-N-Bolts could enter the room completely even though Bucky and Clint tried and failed to hold back their snickering everytime he did.

Tony raised his brow at Steve sometime around the fifth day, leaning against the open door way, Nuts-N-Bolts making laps around Steve’s office. “You know, when I made him, he wasn’t designed to become attached to one person.”

Steve grunted, attention focused mostly on going over the organization's books. “What can I say, I’m lovable,” he said, mind elsewhere as he took notes.

The bot hit Steve’s desk for what was probably the tenth time today, jostling all of Steve’s things. He frowned down at where the bot was hiding under his desk. “A leash would probably do the trick,” he muttered to himself.

Steve startled when Tony spoke again, had forgotten the other man was there. “Command Sergeant Major Nuts-N-Bolts is not a dog, Captain. He’s a living, breathing--well, okay, he’s not exactly living and breathing but he’s slightly sentient and using a leash would be just rude.”

Steve laughed at Tony’s affronted tone, and leaned back into his plush desk chair, a smirk that did little to impress Tony settling over his lips. “I’ve known a few living and breathing people who didn’t mind a little leash play.”

Tony spluttered, a flush high on his cheeks before he coughed, face settling back into practiced calm. Not that it did anything to stop Steve from almost doubling over with laughter. “Shut up, you can’t just say stuff like that unexpectedly. That’s playing dirty-- oh ha ha. Don’t even say it.”

Tony huffed when Steve did nothing but continue to laugh, turned and started walking away. “Don’t put a leash on him!”

Steve grinned stupidly at where Tony had been before reaching a  hand down and tapping the bot on his head. “I’m gonna get you one in hot rod red, how about it?”

Nuts-N-Bolts chirped and waggled his brow happily.

“That’s what I thought.”

*****

Tony paced back and forth, much to the growing annoyance of both Steve and Bruce. It was one of a small handful of nervous ticks that Tony apparently had, come out to play as they waited for their first update from Romanoff and Barton’s work undercover in Stark Industries.

As the minutes ticked past their scheduled appointment with still no word from either Nat or Clint, Tony’s pacing picked up speed. He began muttering under his breath as he walked, something about titanium alloy being the key component to full body armor. Tony paused his steps and stared down at the floor before shaking his head, continuing to mutter, this time disputing his earlier claim due to how bulky said full body armor would be unless you wanted to look like some sort of superhero.

Steve was well past impatient by the time Tony started muttering about introducing Nuts-N-Bolts to DUM-E and U and whether or not they’d experience new baby jealousy. Steve shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Stark. Stop. Everything is going to be okay. I trust my team to do what needs to be done.”

The genius stopped mumbling but continued to pace, albeit a little slower. “I know that,’ he answered, just a smidge indignant.

“Then what the hell is wrong with you?”

Tony shook his head and waved off Steve’s inquiry.

Bruce pulled off his glasses, cleaning them with the hem of his shirt. “Tony, Nat and Clint have been in place for days with no high alert. They’d rather finish a mission right than on time. They’ll get here soon.”

Nuts-N-Bolts chirped questioningly at Tony, tugging at his pants just slightly. Tony looked down at him. “As much as I’d love a coffee, you can’t exactly reach the counter top.”

Steve and Bruce shared a look, confusion evident on both their faces.

“I think coffee is the last thing you—“ Steve began, interrupted when his comm alerted him. “Bucky, Thor, and Sam are on their way back from the warehouse. ETA less than five minutes.” He eyed Tony warily.

“Would you please sit down already, Stark?”

Tony huffed and took a rather pointed seat near Bruce. “Aye aye, Captain.”

Steve sighed, long suffering, grateful for the silence even if that too seemed a little pointed when coming from Tony. Steve ignored him in favor of watching the door, waiting for his team to show up.

He didn’t have to wait long, all three men shuffling into the room about 4 minutes later. Thor was the first to speak, pulling a chair out and collapsing into it. ”Greetings, Captain. Dr. Banner. Tony. Our trip turned out to be plentiful in the way of news.”

Bucky nodded, took the seat to Steve’s right and clapped him on the shoulder in greeting. “A lot of the data had already been wiped once we got there though we still were able to find a bit of information on human drug trials, a video or two recording the sessions…they weren’t pretty.” Bucky frowned, his metal hands clenching at his side.

Sam spoke from Steve’s left. “The rooms were a mess. The explosion looks to have taken out a few of the other prisoners cells. We found charred remains that they hadn’t bothered to clean up.”  

As Sam spoke, Steve noticed Tony steadily losing color until his face was ashen. “That’s not—“

Sam interrupted him, catching on quickly to Tony’s sudden mood. “I think most of them were near death anyway. Not that that’ll make you feel much better, but they were in pretty bad shape beforehand. The videos…” Sam trailed off, holding up a small thumb drive, “they’re all here. We think they were used as motivation to get outside parties to comply to HYDRA’s wishes.” Sam stared down at the drive, shooting a quick glance between Thor and Bucky who both had their eyes firmly down towards the table. “You’re on here, Tony.”

The room was silent, so silent that Steve could pick up everyone’s bated breathing as they waited for Tony to react. Tony’s hands balled into fists, his face unreadable. “Of course,” he muttered. He cleared his throat a little, stretched out his neck. “Three months in a torture facility. I was never sure but…” Tony fidgeted in his chair before standing up so fast that his chair screeched across the floor. “Anything else?”

“A few HYDRA goons, no sign of Schmidt. We didn’t engage, stayed in the shadows when we could. As far as we can tell, no one noticed our presence. They had a skeleton crew out there, making repairs rather than abandoning their location. The ratio of unaware civilians to HYDRA henchmen was unclear though. It could be that they are all aware of who they are working for or that none of them are.” Bucky looked thoughtful. “Next time we visit we’ll need to tear it down so that former operations can’t be picked back up.”

Bucky looked over at Steve, a smirk on his lips. “When you were selling me on this whole mob lifestyle you didn’t mention going up against a buncha evil scientists in green suits.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I never tried to sell you on this lifestyle, Buck. You followed me cluckin’ around like a mother hen.”

Bucky shrugged, unconcerned with the comparison.

“‘Sides”, Steve continued, “HYDRA has never run like much of a mob organization. They have the superiority complex of gods walking the earth among swine. Their ties and beliefs are so rooted in ancient mythos that they’re practically a cult organization. ‘Cut off one head and two more shall take its place.’”

Tony began pacing again. “So what I’m hearing is that HYDRA are the big bad villains and you all are the heroes for hire?” He stopped near Bucky, shooting him a weary look. “I’m guessing you want more explosives like the ones I used to escape.”

Bucky simply nodded.

Thor spoke quietly from his seat. “We must be swift with our actions, survivors would only greaten the chance for regrouping. While I am loathe to take the lives of others, even in this business, there is much at stake if we allow these men to walk away with their wits about them.”

Everyone in the room was silent, all eyes on Tony. The genius spoke, fidgeting in his spot. “What? Don’t look at me, pretend I’m not here. Why are we looking at me?”

“You have expressed trouble when the loss of life has been brought up in the past,” Steve responded. He folded his hands on the table. “I need to make sure you know what’s going to happen and agree to help without making trouble.”

“HYDRA is your thing. Not mine,” Tony said with an air of nonchalance that was only partly convincing. “All I care about is holding Obie accountable for whatever he’s done.”

Steve and Tony eyed each other, both unwilling to back down, until a throat cleared, breaking them from whatever that little display had been.

“We come bearing news,” Clint said cheerily, walking in the door behind a less enthused Natasha. Steve watched as Nat tossed her fake Stark Industries badge on the table and folded herself down into a chair quietly. Clint followed her example and took a seat next to her. “A lot of it’s not good,” he added. “Well, none of it is, but there is quite a bit.”

Natasha pulled out a thumb drive from her pocket and handed it to Tony. “I’m not sure how much of that you’ll want to see, Stark.” When Tony just stared between her and the drive, she continued. “JARVIS says hi by the way and that he’s rather pleased to learn that you are, in fact, okay.” Nat turned away when Tony visibly swallowed. “He wanted us to inform you that the bots are doing fine and he’s been keeping things updated and ready for your return.”

“I—“ Tony swallowed hard again, shook his head as if to clear it. He folded the drive in his fist and  focused his eyes on some point over Natasha’s head. “What’s on the drive?”

Natasha exchanged a long look with Clint, who shrugged his shoulders and gestured for her to go on. She reached down and pulled the brief case she’d been carrying up onto the table. “We were able to print off some of the more relevant pieces, things we thought you’d want to know about first.” She stood up from her chair and made her way to where Tony stood, passing the pages over with a solemn expression. “You aren’t going to like what you see,” she stated, squeezing his shoulder for a fraction of a second before pulling back.

Steve stood before he realized he was moving, making his way toward Tony where he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and steered him until he was sat in an empty chair. Tony looked at Steve in surprise when he didn’t immediately remove his hand but Steve ignored him in favor of addressing the others. “Clear the room. Whatever it is, Tony doesn’t need us looking over his shoulder as he catches up. We’ll reconvene in a few hours.”

Steve watched as the others left, Bucky placing his arm around Natasha’s shoulders, a kiss to her temple and a suggestion of relaxing for a bit as they made their way out of the room.

When the room was empty, Steve made to pull his hand away. “I’ll be around.”

Tony grabbed his hand before he got too far, then let go as if it burned. “Just—you can stay.”

The blond didn’t question it, just took the seat at Tony’s side, watched and waited. He noticed the slight shake to Tony’s hand as he reached for the first file folder. The brunet stared at the folder briefly as if willing it to disappear from his grasp or not be filled to the brim with answers to questions he’d probably agonized over these past weeks.

“Stark,” Steve said, voice softer than intended.

Tony opened the folder and began reading. From what Steve could see they contained older looking documents, communications records, transactions and purchase orders. Tony swallowed roughly a few times, squeezed his eyes shut momentarily before forcing them back open to continue reading.

Steve didn’t speak, didn’t dare breathe too loud, instead waiting with baited breath until Tony was ready to clue him in.

When Tony did speak, Steve was almost startled, his voice breaking the silence like a whip. “Stane,” he began, voice hoarse, “Steve, he’s—he didn’t tip HYDRA off and have them do his dirty work for him. They—he is.” He spit the words out as if they left a nasty taste in his mouth. “He’s one of them.” Tony went tense and then limp almost immediately after, his voice quiet. “I never knew. Never suspected. I didn’t even know that HYDRA existed and I called myself a futurist. This whole time he’s—he knew. He saw me with Bucky—“ Tony turned flipped through the pages, face pale. “He knew who you are. Has been trying to keep me under his thumb, under their thumb the whole time. When I said I was getting out of the weapons business, he had them take me to their warehouse to break me until I was forced to make keep making weapons. Thought they could get me to tell them where you were as a bonus.”

Tony pushed the papers away until they were scattered. “He’s been trying to make me a part of a war I didn’t even know existed. God—these emails alone— and I did nothing.“

“This is not on you, Stark. This isn’t—“

Tony cut him off with a self-depreciating laugh. “This man was more than my mentor, Steve. He was like a father to me. He was there for me when my parents died in that crash. He was there for me even before that—My dad was…not the best father. He was never happy with the things I took interest in, with my accomplishments. He never hugged me or told me he was proud of me or that he fucking loved me.” Tony’s breath stuttered, eyes filled but not spilling over. “Obie did though. He told me he was proud, looked impressed every time I showed him something new. He told me I was going to be a great leader for the company, prepared me for the day when I’d take over more than my dad ever did. He was my role model, the person I looked up to most and this is what I’m left with. His interest in me only extended as far as what I could do for him. Not me, but what my brain could produce and how many billions of dollars each new idea brought in. That’s all I was to him. It’s all I’m good for.”

Steve opened his mouth to argue, before shutting it with a snap. Anything he said on the contrary would sound empty when the only reason they were helping Tony was because of what he promised them he could create. Steve felt guilt eating away at him but couldn’t afford to lose focus because of it. This was a job and Tony was the best one to help them get it done.

“Men like Obie—their hearts are black as their hands are red. They think the value of their person is determined by the amount of money in their banks and are incapable of forming connections with anyone or anything. He wasn’t just incapable of loving you, Stark. He’s incapable of loving anything that wasn’t power.”

Tony shook his head and grimaced. “Keep your friends rich, your enemies rich, and wait to find out which is which.”

“That is probably the most jaded thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Steve declared.

Tony just side eyed him. “People will do anything for a person with the money, or the person that brings in the money for them. I should have known Obie wasn’t any different.” Tony scoffed and pulled one of the folders back to him. “My dad always said having too much heart was a sure way to destruction.”

“Living that way won’t bring you any happiness either.”

“Happiness is an illusion. Use it like a cloak to cover up the rotten bits.” Tony opened the folder and Steve was surprised to see a newspaper clipping, one declaring the death of Tony’s parents. Tony’s hands gripped the page hard enough to wrinkle it at the edges, his face bone white.

Tony placed the wrinkled page neatly back in the folder before shutting it again, his breathing off, heavy and paced as if he were trying to control it. His jaw was clenched, eyes squeezed shut.

“What is it?”

Tony opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking, “Obie ordered a hit on my parents. It wasn’t an accident. It was HYDRA.” Tony’s chair fell back with a bang as he stood up. “Fuck!” he yelled, kicking the table as hard as he could, causing some of the pages to float down to the floor. “They were friends! He killed my parents and they were friends! He made it look like a goddamn accident all because he thought I needed a fucking push, old blood out new blood in. At least I would be easier to control than dad.”

Steve stood up slowly, took a cautious step toward the other man. “Tony, look at me.”

Tony did, eyes burning with rage beyond that of which Steve had thought the younger man capable of. “Do it.”

Steve blinked. “Do what?”

Tony took one heavy breath, held it and then let it out. “Kill Obie.”

*****

Steve resisted the urge to let his head fall heavily into his hands and instead settled on rolling his eyes, sure that he’d never met another human being that left him feeling exasperated more often than not. “Some other time, Stark,” he said shortly, shifting in his seat for the fifth time in under a minute.

Tony just shoved the black shirt further under his nose. “Come ooooon. Just try it on. I promise I’ll leave you alone once I do a few tests.”

Steve looked from his work up to Tony’s wide brown eyes and knew himself defeated. He pushed himself up from his desk and held out his hand for the garment.

Tony all but thrust the shirt into his outstretched hand, expression gleeful and triumphant. Steve took his time inspecting the fabric for himself before peeling off the shirt he was wearing and replacing it with the one Tony had apparently fabricated. Steve ran his hand down the material on his chest, rolling his shoulders back and forward. “This fits nicely. Comfortable, doesn’t seem to hinder any movements.” Steve fingered the fabric at his waist. “It feels good.”

He glanced up just in time to catch Tony swallow hard, eyes rolled toward the ceiling.

“Mmhh.” A few minutes passed, in which time Steve tried to decide if he should snap Tony out of whatever place he’d fallen into or let it run its course, before Tony jerked his eyes back to Steve and began circling him, grabbing at the fabric in between recording voice notes.

Tony laid his palm flat on Steve’s stomach, pulling it away almost as quickly as he’d placed it there. He muttered under his breath, “How do you not have a girlfriend?”

Steve raised a single brow. “What makes you think that I don’t”

The genius merely fell back on his heel and gave Steve a look so full of disbelief that Steve felt just a little bit offended.

Steve shrugged, let his shoulder fall. “I just don’t.”

Tony snorted. “Well that’s a loaded answer if I ever heard one. Come on, Captain. Tell me about her.”

Steve opened his mouth, snapped it shut, and then opened it again, sure that he didn’t want to tell Tony  and yet he heard his voice, quiet but strong, falling away from him. “She was amazing. Feisty and strong, funny, she didn’t take shit from anyone. So independent, never needed anyone else to take care of her, even me.” Steve paused, the familiar lump in his throat restricting his words just the slightest bit. “We missed our window, I guess. Or maybe there was never a window in the first place. Too many things were happening then, all at once.” Steve let his eyes fall to the compass that still sat on his bookshelf, the one that held her picture. “She eventually left, and nobody blamed her, me least of all. This wasn’t the life she had wanted for herself. It’s not the life anyone sane really wants. Peggy found a way out, lord knows you only get very few chances, and she took it. She moved back to England last I heard.”

When he was done speaking he noticed that Tony had gotten a vest on him, busy snapping it in place as Steve’s words trickled into silence. Tony’s eyes flickered up to meet Steve’s as he tugged the vest into its proper place. “You miss her.”

Steve nodded. “Everyday.”

Tony did another circuit around Steve. “Would you go back now? Say everything was taken care of here for good, that everything was in working order and it was possible to live some normal apple pie lifestyle, would you go to her?”

Steve let the silence take over as he thought, unsure of the answer even though he’d thought of it plenty of times before. Steve shifted when Tony’s hand ran down his back, from shoulder to the dip in his back, and took a deep breath. “Probably not,” he admitted. “I don’t think that life is one we were meant to have together. I’ll always love her, but I can’t spend my life wondering ‘what if’. Brooklyn is my world. There are things here that I’m not willing to give up and there are things there that she’s not willing to give up either. This is where life brought us both. It’s where we’re meant to be for whatever reason.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Tony asked, a challenge in his voice as he made his way to stand in front of Steve again.

“My friends—my family. They make me okay with it.” And it was the truth. Without them Steve would have been frozen in time and alone a long time ago.

Tony reached out, hands playing along the neckline of his vest, breath just barely brushing against Steve’s neck. “This is all becoming very afterschool special. I didn’t know you had it in ya, Cap.”

Tony’s hand moved to rest on Steve’s pulse point and the blond felt his breath stutter just a little bit as his heart picked up speed. Steve scrambled to retrieve the reply he’d had on the tip of his tongue, but found nothing but a chasm of empty space where his vocabulary usually was. He was still scrambling for an answer when Tony glanced up at him from under his lashes, eyes questioning.

Steve swallowed as subtly as he could and gently nudged Tony a step back. “I think we’re good.”

Tony just shrugged at him and smiled. “It looks good. I mean, I’m still trying to work out how much of that is my genius and how much is your body, but—A+ all around. For now at least. The others still have to try theirs on but I’m liking my odds so far I—“

Steve cut Tony off before he could work himself up to a truly impressive ramble. “Thank you, Stark.”

Tony let his gaze fall to the wall just over Steve’s shoulder, one hand moving to scratch at his chin. “It’s nothing. This is what I do.”

“But not what you want to do.”

Tony shook his head and reached out to finger the shirts material at Steve’s shoulder. “This, I don’t mind. Protecting people is the part of my job I’d always liked. I just realized the weapons I made weren’t doing so much protecting as they were needlessly killing.” Tony pulled his hand away slowly and started making his way around Steve’s office, hand trailing over anything within his reach.

Steve watched him as he stopped in front of one of Steve’s bookcases that lined the walls. Tony pulled out Steve’s worn copy of the The Hobbit with a raised brow as he flipped carefully through the pages. “You know,” Tony said, apropos to nothing, “I used to think Pepper was the one for me.” Tony set the book carefully back in its place and trailed his way over to Steve’s desk until he could prop himself up on the edge. “I wanted—I thought I wanted the kind of life that everyone dreams about. She’s always seemed so self assured and put together and balanced. I wanted that, I wanted whatever it was that made her that way to rub off on me somehow. Lord knows how I got her to go out with me once let alone date me for as long as she did. I don’t blame her for not staying. I mean, she never really left, she’s still one of my best friends, but I don’t blame her for ending our relationship. I’m the genius but I’m also selfish. I would have held on until I ruined us. She was smart enough to pull away while we could still hold on to what made us and us to begin with.”

Steve didn’t know what to say, didn’t really understand why Tony was telling him any of this to begin with but unwilling to say the wrong thing and ruin whatever was going on here.

“I guess—the connection I’m trying to make here is that while you were selfless enough to let your girl go, give her the space she asked for, I wasn’t—I’m not. When she left I clutched at anything she could give me even at the expense of her. That’s why people like you, Cap, despite what you do, you deserve any piece of happiness this life has out there for you, even if it means leaving things behind to get it.”

Steve took cautious, slow, steps until he could lean against his desk at Tony’s side. “And people like you…what do they deserve? Nothing?”

Tony lifted his shoulders and let them drop in a poor imitation of a shrug.

Steve folded his arms over his chest, “See, I just don’t buy that. This whole people like you and people like me bullshit. If you ask me, I’d say I haven’t exactly given you much kindness since you’ve been here, haven’t given you much to base this opinion that I somehow deserve anymore than you or the next fella. We all make mistakes and we all have moments where we’re selfish, that’s not something you invented, no matter how much genius you got floating around in that big brain of yours, Tony.”

Tony’s eyes were wide as he stared at Steve, a smile edging its way through his moments of insecurity.

“You know—“ the brunet said, voice careful, like he was afraid to ruin whatever moment they were having, “you can call me Tony more often. I mean, it sounds good coming from your mouth.”

Steve watched as color flooded along the back of Tony’s neck and up to his cheeks. Tony coughed into his hand, eyes turned away from Steve. “Or, not. Stark is fine too. I—“

Steve cut him off with a grin. “Tony.”

The genius smiled, seemingly despite himself, and nudged Steve with his elbow. “Look, I just think that given the chance, you should go after whatever it is that makes you happy instead of worrying about everyone else around you. You’re a good guy, Ca—Steve. Even when taking into account all the times you’ve been an ass.”

Steve tried to futilely wipe the amused smile off his face. “That’s not how I operate. Buck swears it’s some sort of insane hero complex, which is ironic considering the life I lead, but that’s not it exactly. What I wanted and what I want are worlds apart now, there’s no use dwelling on the past when I wouldn’t change a thing that lead me here. Even the part where I somehow adopted a tiny annoying robot created by a tiny annoying genius stowaway.”

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, mock affronted. “ I am not tiny. I’m—I’m compact. And certain parts of me are anything but tiny I’ll have you know.”

Steve snorted. “Trust me, I know. I’ve seen the size of your head.”

Tony shoved at Steve’s shoulder gently, a smile in his eyes. “You know what? I take it back. You’re a jerk and I hope you have a miserable life.”

Steve squeezed at Tony’s thigh, near his knee. “Whatever you say, kid.”

Steve watched as the grin on Tony’s face dimmed, catching something flash in his eyes before it was hidden away like so many other things Tony tended to hide. “Right.”

Steve opened his mouth, ready to ask what was wrong, when he was interrupted by a perpetually amused voice. “A little birdy told me there were some Kevlar vests being tested out down here. That true?”

Both men turned their attention to Clint who took a step back. “Or I can come back later? What did I just walk in on?”

“Nothing,” Tony said, a little too quickly. He plastered a smile on his face. “It’s true. They’re here, the good Captain’s got one on as you can see. You’re welcome to try yours on as well.”

“Sweet!” Clint grabbed the shirt and vest Tony held out to him. “Hey, guys,” he shouted out the door, “it’s true. Stark has presents for us!”

It took only moments before the others appeared, shuffling their way quickly into Steve’s office.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you guys were waiting impatiently nearby for these presents.” Tony sorted through the box of fabric. “I guess we can consider this an early Christmas present. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”

“Nu-uh, this doesn’t get you out of getting us actual Christmas presents when the time comes,” Clint said, voice muffled by the shirt he was wrestling over his head.

Tony rolled his eyes and continued handing out the garments, first to Natasha and Bucky who both accepted theirs with an almost analytical silence, before tossing Sam and Thor’s items to them, both of whom smiled sincerely at the gifts.

“This is marvelous craftsmanship, Tony,” Thor chimed in, a beaming smile as he ran his hands over the fabric of the vest. “Truly remarkable.”

Clint finally snapped his vest into place and struck a heroic pose. “Again, as remarkable as this feels, which, yeah nice, I feel like we aren’t emphasizing how this doesn’t get him out of Christmas presents. Come one people, personalized arrows!”

Tony’s grin faltered. “Who said I’ll still be around when this is all said and done?” Tony muttered. “I’m not exactly a part of this whole—mob family you’ve got going on. I don’t play a part here.”

Bucky pulled his shirt over his head with a slight frown. “You help with my arm.”

Tony made his way around the room, pulling pieces into to place and noting where things could use an adjustment. “That’s not something I have to do from here, exactly.”

Steve felt something heavy drop in his stomach at Tony’s words. “We’re not forcing you to go and we’re not forcing you to stay. Once this is all said in done, that’ll be your choice, but you should know that you haven’t hindered our ability to do our jobs in any way. You’ve been useful, Tony.”

Steve realized his error the second Tony’s face soured. “Of course I’m useful. I’m giving you guys the best material money can buy. You’ve had access to JARVIS, the most advanced piece of technology to date—so yeah. I guess you could say I’m useful, but not necessary.”

The silence in the room was stifling.

“That’s not what I meant,” Steve said, voice both too quiet and too loud.

Tony tugged at a piece of Sam’s vest just a little too hard before turning on his heel and walking back toward the box he’d carried all the garments in. “This is a business deal, Captain. Let’s not pretend it’s anything more than that.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony even as he spoke to the rest of his team. “Give us a moment, would you?”

The other’s shuffled out of the room as if their asses were on fire, leaving just an irate Steve with an upset moody genius to handle. “What the hell crawled up your ass, Tony. Everything is fine and then—“

Tony snorted in derision. “Right. Everything is fine. What do you care anyway? As long as you all get what you want, then we’re all happy. End of story.”

“Bullshit,” Steve snapped. “Be a man and say what you mean, not whatever will get this conversation over with the fastest.”

Tony made no move to speak and Steve moved until he stood in front of the door. “How about this. Neither of us are leaving this room until you speak up, and trust me when I say I have nowhere else to be.”

Tony kicked the box hard across the floor. “What the hell do you want me to say, Rogers? Hey, this has been a not so bad experience even though once again I’m getting close to people who only want me for what I can give them. I’m not looking to make the same stupid mistakes over and over again!”

Steve let his mouth drop open in exasperation. “This? This is what you’re upset about? You think we want you for only the thing you can make with your two hands?” Steve wanted to shake Tony by the shoulders until he could knock whatever it was that made the other man think so poorly of himself and everyone around him out of his head. “Maybe you were here for what you could do for us in the beginning but so was everyone else. Natasha, Clint, Sam, Thor—the only reason they were brought in was for the talents they possessed. You think that’s why they’re still walking around here today? You think they’d stay if that were the case? We care about you, Tony.”

Tony scoffed, eyes directed firmly at the ground.

Steve almost shouted, took a step toward the other man before halting his steps before he could reach him and do something irrational. “It’s true. Whether you believe it or not. We infiltrated your company and the warehouse you were held captive in despite the danger—“

Tony balled his hands into fists at his sides, eyes coming up only to narrow at Steve. “Because I asked you to! Because I paid you to.”

Steve took a breath, tried to calm himself. “Do you think Natasha was pretending to be angry, to feel upset when she had to share the information they found with you? Do you think she’d still let it bother her if she didn’t care even a little bit about what happens to you? Do you expect me to believe that that the friendship you’ve developed with Bucky isn’t real? That he only trusts you so completely with his well being that he took a nap the last time you were working on his arm because you made him a new gun? What about all the nights I’ve caught you, Sam, Clint and Thor piled together playing Mario cart on the couch? Was that all a product of the thing’s you’ve made for them?” Steve took another halting step forward. “If I or anyone else didn’t want you here, you wouldn’t be here, in my office and in my home, no matter what it is or was that you offered me.”

Steve tried to pretend he didn’t see the glistening in the Tony’s eyes, that it didn’t make him want to do something like grip the other man's shoulder, or worse, hug him.

Tony took a deep breath and deflated. “What do you want me to say? I—I don’t know who to believe, Steve. I can’t afford to be the naïve guy again. So much of my life has been twisted and built on lies. Trust isn’t just something I can give away so easily anymore.”  

“I understand that, Tony. And I know it’s not something I can help you figure out, this is something you’ll have to decide on your own, but you will figure it out. For what it’s worth, I trust you, and I trust that you’ll do what’s right for you when the time comes.”

“You haven’t known me very long.” Tony tipped his head to the side, mouth held in a thin line. “When I was with HYDRA, I wanted to sell you and anyone else they asked for out so many times, tell them anything they wanted to hear just so they would leave me alone.”

Steve made the last few steps so that he was close enough to place a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “But you didn’t. You were stronger than them, better than them. You escaped and you made your way here all on your own, Stark. That’s something only a small few can accomplish.” Steve squeezed once and let his hand fall. “You have more friends in your corner than you think-- Pepper, Rhodey, us – all we want is to keep you safe. That’s what we’re in this for now, not what you can make us, but for you.”

Tony didn’t say anything for minutes that stretched on for what felt like forever and Steve started to worry that he’d said the wrong thing again. When Tony spoke it was almost a relief. “You’re annoying sometimes, Cap.”

Steve let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I learned if from you.”

Tony glared up at Steve, but with no actual malice behind I, and stuck out his tongue until Steve laughed.

“So, what now?” Tony asked, looking unsure of himself. The way the brunet went from emotion to emotion was truly a feat, one that was leaving Steve with whiplash.

“We do what we have been doing. We help you seek justice and restore order to your kingdom, so to speak. And who knows, if we pull this off as well as we hope, then it might make an excellent superhero story.”

Tony smiled, small but sincere. “Superheroes huh? As long as I get to be the one with all the cool armor--- and flying! Flying is a must…maybe rollerblades. An entire suit of battle ready armor ready to swoop in and save the day with science and technology that would make the smartest men to ever live cry tears of envy.”

Steve shook his head, amused. “And what would be call you, oh knight in shining armor? Sir Lancelot? Iron Lad?”

Tony snapped his fingers in Steve’s face. “Iron Man, more like. It has a certain ring to it.”

Steve could see it, strangely enough, Tony flying through the air in a suit of armor. “I like it.”

Tony nodded. “Me too.”

They were both silent again, though this one was shorter than and not as tense as the last.

Tony, gaze somewhere over Steve’s left shoulder, sighed. “How am I supposed to know what the right choice is?”

Steve shrugged helplessly. “I can’t answer that for you. You have to make that decision on your own. Just—do what’s best for you.”

The two stood across from each other, Tony’s eyes unreadable no matter how hard Steve tried.

“Okay,” Tony said, and that was enough to hold Steve over for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ended up coming a week later than I promised! Sorry. My poor beta ended up having computer issues and being sick and it was hard for her to try and finish all this within the initial allotted time as a result. She rocks though.
> 
> Warning: Non-graphic depictions of violence in this chapter, but the aftermath and description of the injuries might be a little more difficult to bear. I don't think they're too bad, but use your best judgment. The injuries are listed in the second section.
> 
> The artwork for this fic will come shortly!
> 
> Happy SteveTonyFest!

Steve found Tony lying on the couch, a bowl of popcorn balanced precariously on his stomach as the younger man slept to the sound of doctors discussing their love lives with each other. It was a rare moment to see Tony resting; one Steve had managed to catch only once or twice since Tony had fallen under their care. Under any other circumstances, Steve would have removed the popcorn, turned the television’s volume to low and covered Tony with a blanket, but things being as they were, they had somewhere to be and no time to lose.

Steve removed the popcorn from Tony and set it down out of reach on the coffee table before gently shaking the brunet until he jerked awake, hands swinging uselessly in no certain direction. Tony blinked a few times, eyes hooded and confused. “Whaaa?”

Steve pursed his lips slightly to stop from smiling. “Get up, Tony. We’ve got somewhere to be.”

Tony slowly pushed himself up until he could rest on his elbows, one hand moving to rub at his eyes. He spoke slowly, voice still rough with sleep. “What? Okay? We’re going…somewhere.” He yawned and Steve struggled not to compare it to that of a sleepy kitten. “As in, out of the house somewhere?”

Steve couldn’t hold back his grin when Tony attempted to push himself all the way to a sitting position only to fall back to his elbows as if his body were suddenly two times its previous weight. “Yeah. Out of the house somewhere.”

“For what?”

“You’ll see,” was all Steve said. “Go get changed into something not covered in oil and grease, okay? If there’s anything left that you haven’t stained.”

Tony grumbled as he sluggishly walked away, flipping Steve a lazy bird the whole way.

“Captain,” came a high chirping voice from the ground.

Steve knelt down on the floor, hand outstretched to pat the bot who began racing his way around the legs of the coffee table when acknowledged. “Congratulations, little guy. It looks like you’re getting much better at coordination.” He tried to catch a glance at the bot’s screen as he shot by, just barely able to make out the words. “Captain Nuts-N-Bolts. You’re about to surpass me. I’m going to be honest with you Bolts, I don’t know how I feel about that.”

Nuts-N-Bolts merely chirped, and began fussing at Steve’s shoelaces. Steve got more comfortable on the floor, Nuts-N-Bolts as his entertainment until Tony finally reappeared.

Steve checked his watch for the seventh time before Tony reappeared, dressed and looking more awake, though that was probably due to the coffee he had clutched in his hand. Tony gestured at where Nuts-N-Bolts was unplugging and then plugging the lights in.

“He’s learning fast, really hoping to pass you in rank. I always say, goals:  Gotta have ‘em. Now let’s go.”

Steve stood up and brushed off his pants. “You know, that actually took less time than I thought it would.”

Tony shrugged and sipped at his coffee. “I haven’t been outside since HYDRA kidnapped me. I’m not counting my escape because I was half out of it, stumbling, and injured.”

“Right,” Steve replied, voice soft. “Well, I guess today is your lucky day then.”

The younger man smiled and pulled down a pair of sunglasses that Steve could almost swear materialized from nowhere. “Come on, Steve. Viva la fresh air. Did I use that right?” He took another long drag of his coffee. “Not that it matters, the sentiment is what counts.”

Steve gestured for Tony to follow him, out the door, past the guards and to his car. They drove in what was mostly silence, peppered only by Tony’s period question of where they were going followed by Steve’s never wavering answer of ‘you’ll see’, though the other man did spend most of his time staring out the passenger side window in apparent reverence. Time passed quickly as familiar landmarks gave way to scenery Steve only saw a few times a year if that. Even Tony stopped asking where they where they were going about halfway to their location, instead resting in his seat and watching everything disappear in a blur as they drove pass.

Eventually they pulled up to a small house, on a street like any other, surrounded by houses plucked straight out of a catalogue.

Tony gave him a sardonic grin. “Is this a romantic getaway, Steve? I would have dressed nicer if I had known. What anniversary are we celebrating? I’ve always been bad with dates.”

Steve snorted as he turned off the car. “Please, Tony. I don’t take dates home with me on the first date.”

Tony unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door, one foot already out before the door was half a foot opened. “You a good girl, Cap?”

Steve stepped out of the car and looked at Tony over the roof with a shit eating grin. “The best girl.”

Tony laughed. “Noted.” He looked at the house with wary eyes. “So, not a romantic getaway. Are you bringing me here to kill me? Because I swear I only drank your orange juice from the jug like three times. Clint does it every day!”

Steve’s eyebrows drew in. “Wait, what? No.” Steve began walking toward the door. “Follow me. And don’t think for a second that we aren’t going to be talking about what you just said the second we get back home. You and Clint both.”

Tony groaned as he trailed behind Steve to the front door, radiating a level of curiosity that must have been killing him. Steve made a point of unlocking the door as slow as possible, if only because he sort of liked the way Tony bounced eagerly on his feet while Steve made him wait.

Tony pushed passed Steve the second the lock clicked open, practically shoving Steve into the door in his effort to look around. He paused in the entranceway, eyes searching when they found Steve’s. “What is this place?”

Steve closed the door behind him and reactivated the security settings. “It serves several purposes. Nat and Bucky come here on occasion, just to get away. As do the others in their own time. Tight security, away from everything happening back home but close enough to show up if the call comes in; it’s a safe place.”

Tony looked around the room a second time, eyes clearer as they swept over everything within their range. “You know, I can do better? I can upgrade this so that it’s safer.”

Steve frowned, opened his mouth to explain that that’s not why he brought Tony here but was stopped by voice, just a broken breath really, calling out. “Tony?”

Tony whipped around, brown eyes wide as they registered a teary eyed redhead, clutching the arm of a dark-skinned man, who wasn’t as teary-eyed but had an air about him that said he was only barely holding it back.

Tony was away from Steve before Steve could take his next breath, running forward until he crashed into the redhead—Pepper—his arms closing around her waist, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing tight.

Pepper’s breathing was controlled but heavy as she hugged Tony, her eyes puffy and cheeks splotchy with color. She pushed him back after a few moments; her hands on Tony’s shoulders as she took in his face in silence before nodding and smiling, satisfied with what she saw.

Tony didn’t look like he could have kept a smile off his face even if he tried. “So…I’m alive.”

Pepper and Rhodey both grinned, relief almost palpable in the air. Pepper whacked Tony on the shoulder. “You’re alive and you haven’t called. We’ve been worried sick and Obadiah’s been sending out search teams to try and find you and you’ve been alive this whole time, Tony! Why didn’t you come home?”

Tony was saved from answering when Rhodey cut him off, pulling Tony toward him. “Come on Pepper, don’t hog him.” He wrapped his arms around Tony in a bone crushing hug, though Tony didn’t seem to mind, holding on just as tight as Rhodey seemed to be. “Don’t think that when this is all over that I’m not going to kick your ass for making us worry.”

Tony laughed delightedly and patted Rhodey’s back, pulling away about a foot. “Empty threats, pooh-bear. You were never very good at them.”

Rhodey just grinned and clapped Tony’s shoulder, then his cheek. “I’m happy you’re back, Tones.”

Tony looked down at the ground and scrubbed at his eyes for a moment. “Yeah, me too.” When Tony looked back up, his face was clearer than Steve had ever seen it. “We need to talk.”

Rhodey and Pepper just nodded and followed Tony as he made his way to the dining room table where they all sat down, each bracketing Tony on both sides, bodies angled toward the genius.

Steve moved to give the three space, rooting himself by the window, close enough to hear but not to intrude upon their moment.

Pepper was the first to speak. “Where have you been, Tony?”

Tony glanced between his two friends, took a deep breath. “Have you ever heard of HYDRA?”

Pepper’s face fell to confusion even as Rhodey’s clouded over with anger. Rhodey’s hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach out to Tony but couldn’t. “Yeah,” he said, voice clipped. “We’ve got them labeled as possible domestic terrorists back at the base. They’ve got a lot of shady shit going on but we haven’t been able to nail them with anything concrete just yet.”

Pepper covered her mouth with a hand, eyes wide and afraid. “Tony, please don’t tell me—“

Tony shrugged. “ Yeah, they took me. Had me for close to three months?”

Pepper reached out and covered Tony’s hand with hers, squeezing tight. Rhodey looked murderous, hands balled up just under the table.

Rhodey opened his mouth but Pepper was the first to speak. “How--- Tony, how did that happen?”

A slight shudder went through Tony’s body and Steve reminded himself that it wasn’t his place to comfort the younger man, not now that he had his friends with him. Tony narrowed his eyes at the table as he spoke. “Obie—Obie did it.”

Rhodey and Pepper both sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before Rhodey’s voice cracked through the air, low and menacing. “I think you need to start at the beginning.”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall as Tony explained to his friends how he was captured, tortured and held for three months until he finally managed to escape. He let them know about Johann Schmidt being HYDRA’s mastermind, how he went by the name Red Skull most of the time, the things he made Tony do, the way Obie was likely just another pawn in Johann’s game of chess.  

He spoke in hushed tones when he got to Obie’s involvement, eyes hard as he stared at the wall in front of him, fists balled up in front of him, only relaxing once he spoke about going to find Steve and his team and the way they’d helped him out.

Steve turned his head and stared out the window, trying and just barely managing to keep an impassive face as Tony told Rhodey and Pepper everything that was happening—everything that was going to happen in the future. He tried to remind himself that he was trusting Tony, even if that included trusting Rhodey and Pepper as well.

Steve turned back when he heard the screech of the chair, seeing all three of them huddled as close together as possible without actually touching, Rhodey and Pepper acting as protective shields, almost as if they could keep anything and everything at bay as long as they kept formation surrounding the genius.

Rhodey caught Steve’s eye, gaze searching and untrusting. “So…you left one mob to work for another?”

Tony glanced back at Steve for just a second before looking at Rhodey. He brought one hand town to touch his thigh until Rhodey put his attention back on him, smiling softly until Rhodey’s mistrustful look dissipated, leaving nothing but unmistakable worry. Tony patted his thigh once more before pulling away, placing his hand back on the table. “Yes and no. A little yes.” Rhodey raised a concerned brow and Tony conceded, spreading his hands flat. “Okay, mostly yes. I’m fine though. Steve—they’re okay. Just—Don’t worry about me. I’m perfectly fine. Better than.”

Pepper just snorted and wiped at her eyes. “’Don’t worry about me’, he says. We’ve been worried about you for weeks, Tony. And now here you are telling us about all the horrible things that have happened to you and how it isn’t over and you want us not to worry?” She sounded incredulous, shaking her head as if Tony was a problem she could never hope to solve but resigned herself to sticking with anyway.

Tony ducked his head and rubbed at his neck, shrugging slightly. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“You. Are. Unbelievable,” Pepper bit out. “This entire time, Tony. All this time you were out with the mafia or whatever they call themselves you never thought to pick up a phone and say, ‘hey, I’m not dead?’”

“Well, technically I still am. At least as far as Obadiah is concerned.” Tony glanced between his two friends, eyes wide and serious. “I don’t want to put you guys in danger. I thought about calling earlier, when I first escaped but it wasn’t a good idea.”

Rhodey looked skeptical. “And now it is?”

Tony shook his head. “No. It’s still not. This was all Steve’s idea, bringing you guys here. Which…” Tony looked at Steve, a little bit confused, but mostly happy. “Not that I’m complaining, but how exactly did you guys get here anyway?”

Rhodey and Pepper shared a look over Tony’s head.

Rhodey was the first to speak. “We got a message, addressed to Pepper and I…it hinted at finding you so we came.” He shrugged as if that was all it took.

“Happy drove us,” Pepper said, touching Tony’s hand lightly. “The message said not to bring any guests so he had to leave, but he really wanted to stay. We’ve all really missed you, Tony.”

Tony’s smile wobbled for a moment. “Yeah. Tell Happy—tell him that I’m good and that I owe him that promotion to head of security I’ve been promising him for keeping my best girl safe while I’ve been away.”

Pepper laughed, squeezing gently where she still held Tony’s hand. “He’ll like that. He’s going to go overboard checking everyone for clearance from now on.”

Tony grinned wide. “He deserves it.” He looked between his friends again. “You know. I would be upset that you two trusted a mysterious letter with only a hint of finding me with no proper backup if I had any room to speak, but things being as they are, how about we call it a draw?”

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. If you think you’re getting out of that lecture once this is all said and done, then you have another thing coming.” Rhodey held up his hand when Tony moved to interject. “Ah ah, later. Now, tell us how we can help end this as soon as possible.”

Tony blinked, then blinked again. “Uh…I don’t…you guys can’t just—“

“Tony, If the next words out of your mouth are some variation of the ‘I’m not involving you in this’ speech, then I will actually kill you.”

Tony looked back at Steve searching, and Steve shrugged. It would be impossible not to involve them at this point. “Look, I’d be asking you guys to compromise your lives, your jobs—“

Both Pepper and Rhodey snorted. “No offense, Tones, but our lives and jobs were compromised the moment we became friends.”

Steve covered his mouth with his palm to hide the smile that broke out on his face at both the teasing and the wounded look Tony shot at both his friends.

Tony’s play at being offended was belied by the fact that he couldn’t keep a grin off his face. “That really hurts, Sourpatch.” He leaned towards Pepper and clutched at her arm. “Potts, tell Rhodey that was rude.”

Pepper shook her head and reached around Tony to pat Rhodey on the shoulder in apparent commiseration. “You’ve been in it longer than I have. The things you must have seen.”

Rhodey mock shuddered. “I wish I could say MIT was one giant blur but…” he trailed off, shaking his head forlornly.  

“No respect at all,” Tony grumbled, sliding down in his seat a little with his arms folded across his chest, bottom lip jutted out in a pout that was just a little too tempting for Steve to look at for too long.

Rhodey clapped Tony on the shoulder and shook him gently. “You’re alive, Tony. And here with us. If you think we’re just going to let you run off on your own and get involved with who knows what, then you don’t know us as well as I thought you did. You’re in this, so now we’re in this.”

Pepper squared her shoulders, sitting up tall and sure. “James is right, we aren’t leaving you….besides, we’ve handled you for this long, anything else seems like a walk in the park in comparison.”

Rhodey nodded, expression fond. “If anyone gets to kill you, it’s going to be one of us. We’ve earned it.”

Tony rubbed his forehead wearily and muttered under his breath. “Well aren’t you two full of sunshine and daisies today.” He continued in a louder voice. “You’ll have to talk to the Captain then.”

Pepper and Rhodey lifted their brows.

“Steve. Steve is the Captain, call him Cap.”  He waved his hand at Steve, gesturing him closer. “Take a seat, old timer. Don’t want you to hurt your back or anything.”

Steve pinched Tony on the arm as he made his way to his seat across the table from the three.

Rhodey huffed a laugh at Tony’s indignant cry. Tony flipped his best friend off while idly rubbing his arm at the abused spot.

Steve eyed Tony briefly when he’d made himself comfortable, looking for any sign that Tony wasn’t absolutely sure about involving his friends in this past the point they already were. When he received nothing but a shrug, that seemed to say ‘this is out of my hands’, in return he turned his attention to Pepper and Rhodey.

Steve folded his hands in front of him on the table. “So. It’s nice to officially meet you two. Tony’s talked a great deal about you all.” Steve watched a flush heat along the back of Tony’s neck and forced himself to focus elsewhere. “I’d also like to thank you for your discretion regarding today, and I hope we can agree that it would be best if things remained as private as possible from here on out.”

Both Rhodey and Pepper nodded curtly, shifting just that much more to block Tony. Steve didn’t take offense, he’d do the same with any of his people. Including Tony.

Pepper cleared her throat, polite if not just a tad intimidating. “Captain. Don’t get me wrong here, we can see that Tony appears to be in...” she eyed Tony from head to toe. “Well, he appears to be his usual self and most importantly alive and well, but I have to ask what exactly you are getting out of all of this?”

Steve spread his hands slightly. “With all due respect, ma’am, what I’m getting out of this is of no concern at the moment. If Tony wishes to divulge that information at a later date, then the choice is his. I find it better to focus on what we have in common, that being that we are all determined to keep Tony safe, no matter how it is we as individuals have come to that consensus.”

Rhodey and Pepper shared a heavy look before they both turned to meet Steve’s gaze, the beginnings of approval shining through their mistrust.

Rhodey leaned forward, resting heavily against the table. “As long as we get him back in one piece, then we’ll have no problems, Captain.” Rhodey smiled warmly at Tony for a moment. “What I’d like to know is how Tony became acquainted with you in the first place?”

Tony smirked, answering for Steve. “Let’s just say I made his friend and offer he couldn’t refuse.”

Steve rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed. “He’s not exactly wrong.”

“Well that’s not intentionally vague are anything.”

Tony snickered. “Impatient impatient.”

Tony shouted out a loud “hey!’ when Rhodey nudged him with his elbow. “Fine. Okay. I made his friend an arm.”

Rhodey spoke slowly. “You made him an arm?”

“Yeah. He lost his arm, so I made him a new one. It’s actually pretty kick ass.”

Pepper snapped her fingers excitedly. “Oh! Was it that Barnes guy you used to have down in your workshop all the time?” She pointed her finger at Steve. “Which would make you the tall blonde hunk.”

Tony gaped. “You knew about that?”

Pepper psshed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Everyone knew. All the girls at the reception desk had a bet going. They thought you were having really hot orgies down there.”

Steve rubbed at his face with his hand, trying to futilely block the flush he felt heating up along his cheeks. It didn’t help when he heard Tony mutter ‘I wish” under his breath.

He tried to get things back on track with a rush that wasn’t fooling anyone. “We should probably discuss what role the two of you can play without putting you in any direct lines of fire.” He focused his attention on Pepper. “Anything you can get on Obadiah would help. Location, business meetings, accounts that we haven’t already found. We want to corner him so he has nowhere to run when we come knocking at his front door.” Steve shifted to Rhodey once Pepper gave him a determined nod. “The Red Skull. I need you to pull any strings you have in getting this guy contained. Draw him out any way possible. We can give you any information you need when regarding HYDRA, things that I doubt even the military has access to.” Rhodey was all hard lines and heavily trained military attitude when he responded with a curt nod. “Both of you, stay safe. Try not to engage directly. If you find trouble then give us a call. We can work below the system; it’s what we’re here for.”

Tony whistled low and impressed, elbowed Rhodey in the side. “He’s like every action movie star you’ve ever seen, right? Got our very own Captain America walking about.”

Rhodey smirked and leaned over to whisper quietly in Tony’s ear to which Tony’s entire face blossomed cherry red. Pepper laughed at the sight.

Steve let a smile tug the corner of his lips up as he glanced down at his watch. He frowned when he caught sight of the time and shot a regretful look across the table. “We need to go, our time out is limited.” Steve dug in his pocket and pulled out two cards, one for Rhodey and one for Pepper. “Just…” he trailed off, unsure what to say, “be watchful. Tony will be in touch from now on.”

Pepper gripped Tony’s hand as Rhodey’s hand squeezed Tony’s shoulder. “We expect him back in one piece, Captain. Don’t make us regret leaving him in your care for the time being.”

“Or else,” Pepper added on, voice steely, and Steve didn’t doubt for a minute that they meant every word.

“Understood”, Steve stood up. “I’ll give you three some privacy.” He directed his attention to Tony. “I’ll meet you at the door,” before turning and walking away.

When at the door, Steve couldn’t make out any words, just low murmuring followed by an extended period of silence. Tony made his way to the door about five minutes later, eyes red but steady. He walked passed Steve and out the door, making his way determinedly to the car.

Steve followed after him, not a word uttered between them until Steve was buckled in and preparing to back out of the driveway.

“They’ll be safe, right, Steve?”

Steve looked at Tony then back to the house where Pepper and Rhodey still waited. “Happy should be here to get them soon. I had Clint tail them here and he’ll tail them back to make sure nobody picked up on this little meet up. They’ll be fine.”

Tony nodded, eyes on the house  until it was completely out of sight. “Clint was in on this too?”

“Everyone knew.”

“Oh.”

They were silent for minutes on end, Steve’s mind racing with a million and one questions.

Tony sighed. “I can feel you thinking, Cap. What is it?”

Steve took his eyes off the road to shoot a brief look at Tony. “Are you mad?”

Tony scoffed, tone confused. “No, what would I be mad about?”

“Leaving your friends…only seeing them for a brief moment. No knowing. You pick one.”

“It was nice, Steve. I’m not mad about any of that…it just…I guess it just hit me how much they’re willing to lay on the line for me is all.”

Steve nodded, had felt the same way on several occasions. “You’d be surprised how many people would. I find it’s best not to question it too much.”

Tony sunk into his seat. “Look. I know you went out on a limb for me today by doing this, and,” he scratched at the back of his head, “I know you didn’t have to do it, but you did anyway and that makes all the difference, so….thank you.”

Something warm filled Steve, rolling pleasantly somewhere around his abdomen. “You’re welcome, Tony.”

The pleasant feeling only double, triple, quadrupled when Tony placed his hand over top of Steve’s where it rested on the gear shift. “Really, Steve. Thank you.” Steve’s mouth went dry, any words he’d hoped to say falling away faster than he could keep up with.

Tony squeezed Steve’s hand for one more ridiculous, wordless second and then let go, putting his hand back on his side of the car.

Steve wanted to thump his head back against the headrest when he realized that he missed the touch already.

*****

In retrospect, Steve probably should have kept a closer eye on Tony after their outing together. Instead of calming the genius like Steve had intended, the trip did nothing but make him more restless than ever. Tony threw himself into working with gusto, up at all hours of the night and day, living on loud music and caffeine alone.

It took a week before Tony shuffled his way into Steve’s office, disheveled and jittery, looking both nervous and determined. Steve should have taken it for the warning it was.

Steve looked up from behind his desk, wariness turning to disbelief as Tony told him he needed to go out on his own for awhile, that he had a few things he wanted to get from his workshop in the mansion and that only he could sneak in and out undetected.

When Steve said no, Tony had began shouting, arguing himself hoarse as he hurtled accusations off at Steve until Steve had found himself out of his seat, shouting right back at Tony until the other man had thrown his hands up in the air and stormed out of the room with a slam that rattled the bookshelves.

Steve settled back into his seat, closed his eyes and tried to count to ten lest he get up to shout at Tony some more.

He shoved all thoughts of Tony away for the moment, if only so that he could actually focus on his work like he’d been attempting to do before the genius had burst into his space; and it worked. For several hours Steve managed to keep all thoughts of the brunet  to a minimum, managed not to feel even the slightest bit guilty for keeping Tony locked away. It was for his own safety, that’s all they were trying to do was keep the man safe, even if it meant he ignored Steve for awhile.

Steve groaned tiredly into his palm, only looking up once he heard a knocking at his still closed office door.

Steve stood up to answer it faster than he would like to admit, told himself that it wasn’t because it could possibly be Tony coming back for whatever reason.

When Steve opened the door he saw nothing, confused until he felt a tiny claw nipping at his ankles.

Nuts-N-Bolts kept nipping at Steve even as he backed up, tiny claws clacking together when he missed. “Steve is a jerk,” he chanted in his high little voice.

Steve narrowed his eyes at the bot. “Hey! Ow! Stop that!”

“Cannot compute. I do not understand the language of jerk.”

“How do I turn you off?” Steve muttered, scowling down at the bot. “You’re being obnoxious.”

Nuts-N-Bolts paused his movements, eyes peering up at Steve. “You will not turn me off, Captain. You love me. You are still a jerk,” and gave a particularly hard nip at Steve’s left ankle.

Steve glared and lightly tapped the bot with his foot out of annoyance. He regretted it almost instantly as Nuts-N-Bolts let out a loud pitched siren noise, loud enough that Steve had to hold his ears with his hands to block out even just a little bit of the screeching.

The rest of the team came running at an almost alarming speed at the noise, and Steve watched as the bots screen turned from the pleasant green it always had been to an angry shade of red that blinked in and out.

“Steve!” Bucky yelled as he shot around the corner. “What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing!” Steve bellowed. “I barely tapped him! He’s fine!”

“You kicked him? Why the hell would you kick him?” Clint hollered, looking more scandalized than Steve thought the admission warranted

“He was being a jerk!”

The team looked varying degrees of shocked and thoroughly unimpressed.

“What’s his monitor saying?” Natasha asked, much calmer than everyone else seemed to be.

Steve crouched down when he caught the words flashing against the red screen. “Alert. Danger,” Steve looked up at the rest of his team, eyes wide.

Bucky furrowed his brows. “What exactly does that mean? What’s in danger?”

Steve shook his head. “How the hell should I know? Someone get Tony—where is he?”

“Haven’t seen him since he came looking for you,” Clint said.

Steve felt his stomach drop like lead. “Anyone else? Bruce?”

Bruce face took on a distinctly putrid green color as he shook his head no.

“Right,” Steve muttered, then louder, “make a sweep of the house, if he’s not here then get ready to move out. We’ll convene in the debriefing room.”

“Whoa, wait, hold up. What’s going on? Trouble in paradise?”

Steve glared, already moving toward the door. “It’s not the time, Barton,” he snapped. “Move it or be prepared to do drills from now until kingdom come.”

Clint swallowed visibly and made a dash for the door, quickly followed out by the others as they split off into every direction looking for their resident kid genius.

Steve looked in every place he could think of, in every crawl space his home had and in every nook and cranny that he thought Tony might even possibly be able to squeeze into. When each spot turned up empty, Steve rushed his way to the debrief room where the others were already waiting, anxious and ready to go.

Steve checked and loaded his gun. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to find him and then I’m going to kill him,” he said lowly.

Sam clipped the protective body armor Tony had made them all into place. “The robot. We found coordinates on his screen. Thor says they’re the warehouse’s coordinates. Either Tony went back there on his own or he was taken again. Either way, he’s in danger.”

Steve nodded sharply and turned to head out. “Make sure you have your coms ready and you’re suited up properly. We leave now.”

The drive to the warehouse seemed to take longer than Steve expected it to, even though Steve was breaking every speeding law that had ever existed in his rush to get there. As he drove, he gave out orders for when they arrived. “Barton, Romanoff, you’re on perimeter. Shoot to kill only; we’re not wasting bullets on wounding them, we’re going to need you to clear the entrance when we arrive. Odinson and Wilson, hang back and take out any cowards running away, watch all exits and keep them clear. Bruce, hang back and prepare medical, only act if first engaged. Bucky and I will search the insides; join us if everything is all clear.” Steve took the next corner sharply. “If you see Tony, make sure not to shoot him.”

Bucky gave him a side eye. “I thought that was a given.”

“That reminder was for me,” Steve said darkly. “One last thing. If you see Red Skull, take him out, no questions, no warnings.”

Everyone nodded and Steve’s foot fell on the pedal just that much harder.

Once they were half a mile away they ditched the vehicle and Bruce behind, making their way from there on out by foot, quickly but quietly.

Steve spoke softly into his com when they neared the warehouses fences. “Time to split off. Let’s give ‘em hell.”

Natasha and Clint made their way silently into the shadows, leaving the others to wait for the all clear.

Bucky whispered, eyes where Natasha and Clint had disappeared. “We going to blow this place sky high this time?”

Steve patted his pocket. “That’s the plan.”

“’s a good plan.”

Steve watched as guards began dropping, the faint sound of arrows in the air and grunts drifting back to them in the stillness of the night.

It didn’t take long for Natasha’s voice to filter through the com. “Clear. It’s now or never, boys.”

Steve and Bucky broke off next, jogging until they reached the warehouse’s entrance. They paused at the threshold. “I’ll take the right you take the left, we’ll meet up in the middle. Keep your guns ready and—“

“I know the drill, Steve. You always forgot who taught you it in the first place.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair, eyes scanning restlessly. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

Bucky clapped Steve’s shoulder. “We’ll find him,” and then took off, sprinting down the hall. “Don’t do anything stupid!”

Steve snorted and started running as well. “How could I when you’re taking all the stupid with you?”

The first HYDRA goon Steve ran into only had a moment’s warning before Steve slammed the butt of his gun into the man’s temple, causing him drop like a sack of flour to the ground. Steve ignored the instinct to wince at the sound of his head slamming into the hard cement floors and kept moving.

Guard after guard went down as Steve checked each open space he came across. He ran until his legs ached, ran so that he could block out the squeezing in his chest that happened each time a room came up Tony-less. Tony was alive, Steve knew he was alive, because he had to be alive.

Steve kicked the next guard he saw square in the jaw and kept moving until he reached a large open space full of HYDRA goons standing about as if they had nothing better to do with their time.

Steve slammed his body back around the corner and pressed the com to his ear. “Bucky. I need you to meet me. Coordinates coming your way. The rest of you move in as soon as possible. Stark is still in the wind, find him.”

When he received an affirmative from everyone he began checking and double checking his guns, listening to both his team fight their way toward the warehouse and the sound of the men on the other side of the wall he hid behind, unaware of anything happening around them. Steve shook his head in disgust; nobody in his organization would be as careless as everyone here seemed to be.

Steve tensed when he heard footsteps making their way toward him and readied his gun, the noise of the shot would blow his cover but it wasn’t to be helped. Any hand to hand this close to the others would be just as telling.

As the footsteps got louder, Steve’s finger got closer to the trigger, prepared to pull it until he made out a familiar glint of metal. He sighed quietly; it was just Bucky. He lowered his weapon and spoke lowly once Bucky was in range. “What have you got?”

Bucky shook his head. “No Stark.” Steve shut his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. “I took out a few on my way here. It doesn’t seem like they’ve opened up to testing again just yet. Cells are empty as far as I can tell. One looks like it could have been inhabited recently but there’s nobody there now.”

Steve took another breath to calm himself, it was no time to let emotions cloud his judgment. “Right.” He looked around the corner briefly. “Four in the corner, two in the middle and six scattered. Twelve all together, all equipped. Quick in and out, Stark is either being held somewhere else or he’s already made his escape attempt. Either way, we need to clear out these guards to make the odds tip in our favor.”

Bucky smirked. “Ready to be heroes?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Sure. You?”

The brunet shrugged. “Why not? Just don’t get us killed like one. I promise you neither of us will make a miraculous return from death. We aren’t that lucky.”

Steve spoke into his coms again. “Covers about to be blown, prepare yourselves.”

“I’m surprised it hasn’t been already,” Sam said lowly, grunting a moment later. “These guys are either very incompetent or this is some sort of trap.”

“Seconded,” Thor called out, laughing right before Steve heard a loud smash make its way through the com, like a hammer on stone.

“Thirded—is that a word? Stark owes us big once we rescue that idiot. More arrows, better arrows.”

Steve heard the low buzz of Natasha’s stingers going off and the loud cry of a guard. “Definitely incompetent. This one was just playing angry birds on his phone.”

Bucky snorted from Steve’s side. “Please tell me his score was higher than Clint’s.”

“Chatter,” Steve called, holding up his hand to count down from three.

Steve never got used to it, not completely at least, being caught in the fray of a fight, bullets flying, the sounds of alarms reaching him through the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears. Steve ducked and weaved to avoid each shot flying his way, kept Bucky in his peripheral whenever possible and kept moving, always kept moving lest he pause for a moment too long.

“There’s more of them coming, Steve!” Bucky shouted, his own gun firing off from behind a pillar, the metal plates of his arm shifting and glinting in the dull lighting that the warehouse provided.

Steve ducked behind a downed table and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The blond patted at the pockets in his vest until he found and object about the size and weight of a pen and a pair of noise cancelling earplugs. “Buck! Bottom left pocket! Put them in now!”

Bucky didn’t question the order, just fumbled for his pocket, grabbed the plugs and shoved them into his ears. When Steve was sure Bucky was secure he got to work flipping the cover open with his thumb and roughly jabbing down on the button there. The effect was instantaneous; all the guards around them going rigid for a few seconds, faces pale, veins bright blue against their skin, right before their legs gave out and they dropped to the ground unconscious. Steve just made out a trickle of blood from a couple of guards noses and ears before averting his eyes.

Bucky whistled low and impressed as he walked to Steve, eyes still scanning the room. “What the fuck was that?”

Steve fiddled with the device, twisting it between his fingers. “This is a sonic taser. Hence the ear plugs.”

Bucky looked between the device and the men still laid out on the floor. “O..kay?”

“It emits a specific high-frequency sound wave that paralyzes anyone within a designated distance.”

Bucky smirked and nudged Steve with his elbow. “That was a very nerdy fact. Be honest, how many times did Tony have to explain that to you?”

Steve pocketed the taser with a huff. “Just the once.” He surveyed the room one last time before gesturing for Bucky to follow him down another hallway. “We should do another sweep of the place, Tony has to b—“

He was cut off when his com made a buzzing in his hand; an incoming call. Steve placed the device back in his ear. “Rogers. Any news?”

Natasha breathed roughly, as if she were running, “We have Stark, he’s injured. Transporting him to Bruce as we speak.”

Steve nearly stumbled as he began moving faster through the halls. He heard Bucky behind him, trying to keep pace. “How bad is it?”

When Natasha didn’t answer right away Steve started to sprint, taking turns blindly as he searched for an exit. “Nat, how bad is it?”

“It’s not good. We’re almost to Bruce now, Steve. Just get here as soon as possible.”

Steve kicked in the next door he came too. “On our wa—“ Steve paused, the room was not empty.

“Steve? What’s going on?”

“It’s handled. Take care of Tony. If he looks bad, leave without us. We’ll find our way back.”

Natasha made an affirmative noise before the noise of her com quieted again. Steve positioned himself next to Bucky, and eyed the short, portly man in sitting behind the desk in front of them. He had his hands folded, almost politely, with an indulgent twisted smile spread over his lips. “Ah, Captain. It is so good to see you. I see you and yours have made great work to plow your way here.”

Steve sneered, but didn’t reply.

“You won’t find anything here, you know,” the man said lightly, pushing his round wire framed glasses further up his nose. “Once I heard all the commotion, I set all databases to self destruct mode. Though, judging from that conversation you were having, it wasn’t information you came looking for.”

Bucky took a subtle step forward, only stopping when Steve held up his hand. “You got a name?”

The man smiled slowly, smarmily, “Arnim Zola. No need to introduce yourselves, I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Captain. And you, Winter Soldier, what fun we had before you escaped.”

Steve didn’t stop Bucky this time as he surged forward and punched Zola hard enough that Steve could hear something crack—probably a tooth, Steve guessed. Bucky held tight to Zola’s shirt, fist still ready to strike.

Steve folded his arms across his chest. “Why did you kidnap Stark?”

Zola spit blood onto the tile. “When a dog runs away it’s your job to find it.”

Bucky gripped the other man by the throat and lifted him a good two inches from his seat. Steve waited until the other man turned distinctly purple and started scrabbling uselessly at Bucky’s metal arm before telling Bucky to let go.

Zola plopped back down and took long heaving breaths.

“Wanna try that again?”

Zola smiled again, the curve of it cold and cruel. “Access is the name of the game, dear Captain. We couldn’t get Stark to make the weapon himself, but those designs of his are still locked away in Stark Industries.” He spit another mouthful of blood to the floor. “Schmidt is not a patient man, the time it would have taken to get into those files was not fast enough for him; enter Anthony Stark. We may not have been successful last time around, but we’ve gotten a bit more creative, as I’m sure you’ll see.” Zola shook his head in pity. “Everyone has a breaking point, Captain, and you seem to surround yourself with men who are right on the cusp of theirs,” he began to chuckle, an ugly little thing. “Do you want to know the things he screamed? He called for you, Captain, more than once—“

Steve shot him between the eyes, breath heaving as his heart roared away in his chest.

Bucky stared at between Steve and Zola with wide eyes, gaze lingering for a moment longer on the blood oozing from the hole in the other man’s head, dripping down his face and onto the floor.

Steve turned around, voice low. “There’s nothing here. Let’s go.”

The trip through the rest of the warehouse was fast this time around, filled with a silence so weighted that Steve felt almost tethered to the ground. He forced his legs to keep pumping, to keep propelling him forward until they were far enough away that the heat from the buildings explosion only warmed the back of Steve’s neck like a hot breath.

Steve, as furious as he was, found himself unable to leave the genius’ side all the way back to the house. Tony’s head rested in his lap, his body limp and his breathing so slow that Steve couldn’t help keeping his fingers on Tony’s pulse just to ease his worries. They all drove in relative silence, only a few words exchanged, though even that died down when it became clear that Steve wasn’t in any mood to respond, too busy noting every new nick and cut that adorned the brunet in his lap.

HYDRA hadn’t even had Tony for a day this time around, but they were unmerciful. His head was once again bleeding sluggishly, bruises lining his features, painted on almost every inch of skin showing—Steve didn’t even want to think about the bruising that must be under his clothing. A couple of his fingers were bloody and bending at odd angles and Steve squeezed his eyes shut before tucking that hand against Tony’s chest and covering it lightly with his own.  

Steve closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat, lost in thought as he tried to figure out HYRDA’s angle this time around.

Zola had said they wanted access to Stark Industries, and Steve believed that much at least, but the rest—it didn’t add up. Beating Tony unconscious surely wasn’t the best way to get information. And Zola—he spoke as if he wasn’t surprised by Steve’s presence in the slightest, like he expected him, yet security hadn’t appeared to be doubled at all.

They were playing some kind of game and after today, Steve was determined more than ever to be the team coming out on top.

All the way home and all the way through Bruce patching Tony up, Steve hovered close by, watching closely, fists clenching at his sides each time Tony’s smooth face would wrinkle in discomfort.

When Bruce was done with the last bandage he turned around and faced Steve, a worried frown evident even under the angry furrow of his brow. “He’s concussed. I had to stitch up his forehead—again. I’ve done the best I can to disinfect all the open wounds and splint his fingers. No identifiable internal bleeding, but his lower ribs appear to be bruised though surprisingly not broken. Uh—“ Bruce rubbed a hand roughly down his face and waved his other hand. “He’s probably in shock, his body just shut down to cope with the injuries. He should be monitored while he rests. I gave him a shot of morphine so he’ll be out for awhile.” Bruce looked down at Tony’s slack face and smiled small and tinged with pity. “He’s not overly fond of being medicated, but—well, he’ll live.”

For someone who felt the need to remind them all constantly that he ‘wasn’t that kind of doctor’, the man never seemed to fall short on fulfilling their medical needs.

Steve pulled up a seat next to Tony’s bed after saying his thanks to Bruce and telling the other man to go get some rest. He watched Tony’s chest rise up and down, up and down over and over until all his thoughts drowned into radio static and the steady beat of his own heart in his head.

Steve got used to sleeping in that chair, hunched uncomfortably over with his head resting lightly on the edge of Tony’s bed. While he waited, Steve would fill his time with sketching, reading, or doing what little work he could accomplish from the room, though mostly he just watched Tony.

It was the sort of mind numbing task Steve needed to calm himself as much as possible, punctuated at brief intervals by Tony waking up, taking meds and then falling back asleep and Bruce coming in and forcing him to go take care of himself while he checked on Tony.

Days passed before Steve heard a coherent sentence.

“Have you been waiting around so you can kill me yourself?” Tony asked, voice rough with disuse.

Steve looked up his sketch of the Brooklyn Bridge and stared at the other man.

Tony rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and sighed. “At least Nuts-N-Bolts was able to warn you. He’s gonna need a promotion for that one.”

Steve hummed. “Go back to sleep, Tony.”

Tony flopped his hands on the bed and whined a little bit. “I’m tired of laying in this stupid bed with these stupid drugs. Me and Bruce are going to have words about this, just so you know.”

“It’s your own fault,” Steve replied evenly.

Tony laughed, quiet but laced with pain. He clutched at his ribs and winced. “I didn’t ask to be taken.”

Steve went back to his drawing without another word.

“You don’t actually have to wait here with me you know, especially if you’re just going to judge me.”

Steve snapped his sketchbook closed and stood up, turning to walk out the door before he started an argument he suspected neither of them were ready for. “I’ll be back later. Sleep.”

When Steve did return a few hours and one demolished punching bag later, Tony was asleep again, face scrunched up a bit. Steve sat down in what had become his chair, reached over and smoothed out the creases on Tony’s face until they were smooth and his face slack. Steve sighed contentedly, thumb brushing Tony’s cheekbone gently until he felt his own eyes drifting closed.

The next morning, when Steve woke up, neck bent at an awkward angle, he felt around with his hand, expecting to find the warmth of Tony’s body but feeling nothing but cool sheets and a discarded blanket.

Steve shot up in his seat, wide awake, with wide eyes. The bed was empty. Steve stood up and started frantically looking around the room, in the bathroom, in the closet, with no luck and a sense of rising panic that got caught in his throat until every breath he took seemed to be too much and too fast.

The blond had his hands already reaching for his phone to send out an alert when he heard the bedroom door open followed by a whirring noise that he’d recognize almost anywhere.

Steve watched as Tony waltzed into the room, a tablet in his hands and a pep in his step as if he didn’t have a care in the world and something broke. One strand of hay too many on the camel’s back and Steve was across the room and on Tony before he really knew what was happening.

Tony grunted when his body hit the wall, free hand shooting up to grip at the arm Steve had pressing lightly to his throat. “Well hello to you too, Captain.”

Steve pressed in just a little bit harder and growled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Tony dug his hands into Steve’s arm. “Trying to walk into my room without being attacked was my original goal but now I’d settle for just making it to my bed sometime soon, join me if you have to but I’m not really into breath play—“

Shut up,” Steve demanded, voice low. “Do you think everything is a joke, Stark? Do you think we’re playing a game all for your fucking amusement?” Steve didn’t give Tony a chance to answer. “What the hell do you think you were even doing? I told you not to go out because it wasn’t safe and you didn’t listen, you never fucking listen—“

Tony tugged with more urgency. “I need to breathe, Steve.”

Steve dropped his arm to his side but didn’t step back, crowding Tony so that he couldn’t just walk away from this conversation. “What about your cover? You probably ruined it, they know you’re alive, Obie—“

Tony thumped his head back against the wall and shut his eyes with an annoyed grunt. “I didn’t blow anything. Schmidt wants access to Stark Industries, access he’s not getting from Obie which means they aren’t seeing eye to eye. It’s the good thing about dealing with men too greedy and power hungry, they always look after themselves first. Obie won’t know I’m alive.”

“And you’re sure of this? Like you were sure of going out alone.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at Steve. “Schmidt has no further use for Obie and Obie is too much of a megalomaniac to exhaust one bridge to wealth. Their partnership, however long, is on the outs if HYDRA needs my help getting into SI. Or maybe Schmidt is just tired of paying for designs—either way information is not being traded willingly.”

Steve squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, bone deep exhaustion hitting him head on. “Even so, we had a plan and all you did was risk it and risk the safety of everyone else when you got caught. Do you even care?”

Tony jerked a little, as if stung. “Of course I—look. I knew what I was doing, I had safety precautions in place I just didn’t expect—Nuts-N-Bolts told you where I was! Everyone—everything is fine.

Steve met Tony’s eyes and shook his head slowly, he reached out a tentative hand to brush at the stitching along Tony’s forehead. “Not everything.”

The brunet’s breath hitched audibly. “I’m fine, Steve.”

Steve’s hand trailed along the stitching, across the purplish yellow bruising along his cheek and down to the bruising at his neck. “I’m still angry,” he cupped Tony’s face gently in his hand. “So angry.” He watched as Tony’s eyelashes fluttered, and when did he get this close? Close enough to make out every color swirling away in Tony’s eyes.

“Don’t do it again,” Steve said softly. He could feel Tony’s breath against his face now, warm and even.

“Steve…” Tony trailed off, voice just as soft, hand reaching out to brush along the fabric at Steve’s waist when---

Steve’s phone started blaring out it’s alarm and all hell broke loose.

Steve jerked back, away from Tony, who slumped against the wall dejectedly, and pulled out his phone to read the alert.

He got as far as swiping the screen before he heard heavy feet racing down the hall. “Steve!” Steve turned in time to see Clint barreling through the door, face red with exertion. “We’re moving out, come on!”

Steve’s posture straightened all hard lines and professionalism. “What’s going on?”

“We’re not sure; reports are saying there’s something serious going down at Stark Industries. HYDRA’s involved, it’s all over the news.”

Tony was instantly at Steve’s side. “Wait. What?”

“Get everyone ready to head out, I’ll be down in five and then we leave.” He looked at Tony briefly. “You. Stay here.”

The genius opened his mouth in what was sure to be a protest.

Steve didn’t have time to deal with another argument. “That’s and order.”

Tony scowled unattractively. “You’re not actually a captain, Captain.”

Steve ignored Tony and started making his way to his room where he kept his gear. Ignored Tony even when the other man trailed relentlessly behind him. When he was all suited up and had his gear strapped to him he gave Tony one last acknowledgement. “You’re still injured, Stark. You’re not going.”

“Like hell! This is my company. They’re literally knocking on my front door!”

Steve clenched his jaw. “And we’ll be the ones to answer it. Stay. Here.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do here, huh? Twiddle my thumbs?”

Steve turned away and started making his way toward the door. “That’s a good start. Leave the rest to my team. We’ll keep you updated.”

Tony’s voice was quiet, steely. “Funny. I thought you’d been trying to sell me on how I was a part of your team. Is that not the case anymore?”

Steve paused at the doors threshold, back to Tony. “You know how you could be part of my team? By following my damn orders like everyone else does.”

He heard Tony shouting at his back as he made quick strides to the garage. “You’re still not a Captain!”

“Stay here!” Steve shouted back, jogging down the halls and out the door to meet up with his team.

Leaving Tony behind was easier said than done when part of him wanted nothing more than to stay close and keep an eye on the other man both to make sure he was resting and to make sure he didn’t get into more trouble with no supervision. He already knew Tony was no stranger to sneaking through the guards he had in place, guards that were due for a rigorous training if they’d already been breached not once, but twice by the genius.

Clint weaved in and out of traffic, met with a blaring of horns and curses yelled out the windows coming from every direction as they tried to get to Manhattan as soon as possible, a feat almost impossible with the amount of traffic that seemed to be clogging the roads.

Steve turned his attention away from the road, trusting Clint to do whatever it took to get there, and instead began laying out a game plan for when they arrived.

What they arrived to was all out chaos. Smoke billowed from the top floors of Stark Industries, gunfire being exchanged between a line of police and from within the crowd of people scurrying about trying to get out of the way. There were firemen running in and out of the building carrying stretchers and covered in soot and news crews scavenging like vultures at the barricades along with bystanders who seemed to have no regard for their own safety.

The noise level alone was enough to drive a man mad, shouts of ‘Hail HYDRA’ making their way through the mix at random intervals.

Steve gave his team orders to split up into the crowd and help where they could and to take out anyone they suspected of being HYDRA. Steve himself made his way toward the entrance of SI, weaving through the line of police with not much effort expended when they were mostly distracted with firing back at those firing at them. Steve ducked and weaved until he was at the door, slipped quickly passed a fireman carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder and made his way into the lobby. His eye caught on strawberry blonde hair flashing around the corner followed closely by a balding man in a suit.

Pepper. He’d recognize that hair anywhere. And the man, that had to be Obadiah Stane.

“I’ve got eyes on Stane,” he whispered breathlessly into his comm, pulling out his gun and ducking behind the desk when a SWAT team went barreling past him. “He’s got a woman with him, strawberry blonde hair, fair skin. She’s Tony’s PA. I’m going after them, Barton, Wilson, get up high and make sure no one is exiting the building that shouldn’t be. The rest of you, continue to help keep everything contained.”

“Roger that, already on it” Sam replied. “Bucky, you see anything from down there?”

“Yeah,” Bucky replied dryly. “Lots of people shooting at each other. They’re using bystanders as human shields.”

“Uh, Cap?” Clint called out, slightly out of breath.

Steve stood up from behind the desk. “Barton?”

“Rhodey is here, wants to help.” Clint’s voice came through a bit tinier as he spoke to Rhodey. “How did you find me anyway?”

Steve couldn’t hear Rhodey’s reply. It wasn’t important. “Stick with him, I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”

“Aye aye, Captain.”

Steve shook his head. He started after around the corner Pepper and Obie had disappeared behind, made it about ten steps before footsteps came thudding after him.

He spun around, gun cocked and safety off only to see—Steve groaned. “What the hell are you doing here, Stark?”

Steve grabbed Tony and pulled him down to the ground when a series of shots broke through the glass at the lobbies entry way.  Bullets showered over their heads before letting up. Steve rolled to his feet, pulled Tony up a second later.

Tony was out of breath. “This is my company. My employees. You weren’t going to sideline me.”

“How did you even get here?”

“I took your bike. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it.”

Steve gaped. “It wasn’t broken.”

Tony shrugged. “Wasn’t is the key word.” He started looking around, and Steve noticed just how jittery and panicked he actually looked once he paid attention. “I heard on the comm. Where’s Pepper?”

Steve grabbed Tony’s arm. “I’ll go. You…just get somewhere safe, Tony. We’ll handle the rest. You’re not—“

Tony yanked away from Steve with more strength than he usually displayed. “I won’t! Pepper’s in here, and I’m going to find her. I’m already trusting you with one of my best friends out there in that shit storm, I’ll handle the other one, whether you like it or not.”

Before Steve could speak Tony sprinted off around the corner and out of sight.

Steve started after him, cursing Tony with everything he had as he ran through the labyrinth that made up Stark Industries.

“Update!” Steve barked into his comm. If he couldn’t find Tony, he’d at least check in on the rest of his men. The one’s that listened to him for the most part.

“Still alive,” several voices called out all at once. Steve nodded even though nobody was around to see it.

He pushed open a door that lead to nothing but another dead end. “Stark’s gone after Stane, I’m in pursuit now. You guys handling things alright on the front lines?”

“We will vanquish any foe of ours, Captain!” Thor all but roared through the comm.

Steve turned on his heel and started looking around, planning another route. Tony couldn’t have gotten too far. “Fantastic, “ he muttered, running a hand down his face.

Natasha cursed a string of words that would make a pimp blush.

Steve paused his movements and pressed his comm closer to his ear. “What’s wrong?”

“Natasha’s been hit,” Clint responded, hard edged and worried.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Natasha retorted, a wince audible in her voice. “I’ve had worse.”

“Get to Bruce, Nat.”

“It’s just a bullet graze, I’m fine.”

He heard Clint scoff.

“I’m fine, Barton,” Natasha bit out. “Nothing to get weepy over.”

Sam cut in before Steve had a chance to respond. “I’ve got eyes on Rumlow.” He sounded almost excited, pent up on the chance to get revenge after their last confrontation left both men injured. “Now this is what I’m talking about. Time to show our buddy ol’ Crossbones what the Falcon is made of.”

“Pierce is here,” Bucky said quietly. Steve clenched his fist at his side; he was well aware of Alexander Pierce’s involvement in what happened to Bucky after the war, of the cruelness held by that man. He’d been like a ghost since Bucky’s escape, no trace left of him anywhere except for now, here today. Steve should be out there, Steve needed to be in here. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and took a steadying breath. Bucky’s breathing became heavy, “Should I—shit!” Gunshots echoed over the comm.

“Bucky!” Steve shouted, turning toward the direction he’d come, not moving just yet. “Report!”

More gunshots came through followed by the sound of shattering glass.

“Bucky, goddammit.” Steve started running. “Report. What’s happening out there?”

“I’m fine!” Bucky gasped. “A few of Pierce’s guards. Got’em down, took Pierce out.” He groaned. “I think my fucking leg is broken though. No, wait. Yeah, definitely broken. Goddamit.”

Steve stopped running, braced his hand on the wall. “Get somewhere safe, Buck. Bruce will come for you soon.”

“Already in route,” Bruce said, voice a forced calm.

“I’m staying in. Bruce can stabilize it when he gets here, but you’re not taking me out of the game.”

“This isn’t a game,” Steve barked. “You got Pierce, that’s enough. I’ve already got one injured teammate running about recklessly, I don’t need another.”

“Till the end of the line, Stevie. Like hell I’m hiding away with these sonuvabitches shooting at your back. I’ll get up high and take ‘em out from there.”

Steve wanted to argue further but he already knew it was pointless. Bucky was stubborn and protective to a fault, getting him to leave would be like pulling teeth. “Don’t die,” was all he said, turning back and staring down the hallway Tony had disappeared down long ago.

*****

Tony, being the genius he was, had compromised. He already made himself a vest when fashioning one for the others, because, well, who knew who was trying to shoot at him these days? His other gadgets though, those had mostly been projects he’d taken on as a hobby in between the more serious work. He felt very James Bond-ish in some ways, but with better toys and better looks.

Now all he had to do was defeat the villain, Obie, and save the girl, Pepper, who would turn around and save Tony when Steve tried to kill him for running off.

Steve had, as he figured would happen, been less than happy to see him. He hadn’t actually meant for Steve to see him just yet, had almost contemplated wherein a mask just so he wouldn’t be recognizable but ultimately scrapped that idea when the fabric irritated his stitches. He wanted to prove just how useful he could be, but from a distance. And then he heard that Pepper was with Obie and Rhodey was fighting alongside Clint and he’d made up his mind and made his way into SI and unfortunately into Steve.

Tony turned the last corner and made his way quickly to the door he knew Obie had Pepper behind, in his own goddamn office, “Jarvis, honey, go help the good Captain in clearing up that disturbance on sublevel C you reported.”

“Right away, sir.” Jarvis said, English voice carrying the a small hint of fondness that Tony was sure he hadn’t actually programmed into him. He and Jarvis were due for some quality time when this was all over.

When Tony entered the door he was greeted to the sight of Obadiah holding a gun to Pepper’s back with one hand while the other worked furiously away at the computer.

“Hi, honey. I’m home,” Tony parroted at Obadiah, the same way he’d said it to Steve when he’d showed up at his doorstep, though with less coughing and almost keeling over.

Obies eyes were wide, his mouth held open, speechless. “Tony!” he finally settled on, backing away from Pepper. “You’re alive.”

Fake. Everything Obie was was fake, no matter how well he played his role.

“I’m surprised your buddy Schmidt didn’t tell you,” the genius said flatly. “I guess you should be used to it though, the art of keeping secrets and backstabbing. Remember what you told me? This really is a cut throat business we’ve found ourselves in.”

“Schmidt?” the older man asked, his voice presenting as falsely confused.

“Let Pepper out of here.” Tony bit out. “This doesn’t involve her.”

“Tony, I don’t—“

Tony lifted his gun and pointed it at Obadiah’s head, “Don’t fucking lie to me!” Tony yelled. “I’ve lived through enough of your bullshit to last a lifetime.”

“What? Boy, this isn’t my fault,” Obie tried again, stepping closer with his hands up. “Pepper was stealing secrets from us and trying to sell them. She has them on a thumb drive—“

“I told her to,” Tony cut in, “and she wasn’t selling them. Unlike you.”

Obie stopped, his face going carefully blank.

“I have more than enough proof to put you away for a long time. Emails, transactions, payments, photographs, video feeds—you name it, I’ve got it.”

“You’re bluffing,” Obie said, a smarmy sneer wrinkling his face.

“You have your friends and I have mine. It just so happens that mine are better and yours hate your guts. HYDRA, Stane? Really? Did you ever think that would end well for you?”

Obadiah let his eyes roll to the top of head and sighed, Tony’s gun lowered just a smidge. “Well now that you mention it,” the older man started, narrowing his eyes and then raising his gun till his was pointed at Tony.

Tony didn’t hesitate to shoot Obie in the side, the blast hard enough to knock the other man to the ground, howling in pain.

Tony hurried to help Pepper to the door and handing her a thumb drive, “You have two now. Find a computer, it doesn’t matter where, and upload everything.”

“Tony…”

“Just go!” Tony pleaded.

“But—“

Tony gripped both Pepper’s shoulders. “I’ve got this. You’re brilliant, Miss Potts, truly magnificent, and one of the only people I would trust with a job like this. I need you to do this for me.”

Pepper’s eyes were determined, if not a little hesitant. “Please be safe,” she said, pulling him into a tight hug before running out, leaving Tony alone with a down Obadiah. The man was struggling toward his gun, Tony walked over calmly and kicked it to the corner.

“Stay down,” he said.

Obie laughed, gurgling on a buildup of spit and just a little bit of blood, “Congratulations, boy! Finally acting like a capable man. Tell me, what are you going to do next?”

Tony raised his gun again, pointed it right between Obie’s eyes. “We’re going to talk.”

*****

Steve was still staring when a very British voice came as if from everywhere all at once. “The man you know as Johann Schmidt appears to be causing a disturbance on sublevel C in the main server room.”

Steve looked up, then around. “What? Who—never mind. I’m on it.”

“Very well, sir. If you would just follow the lights I will lead the way,” the voice said, followed by the ding of an elevator opening down the hall. Steve made his way toward it, only with the slightest bit of trepidation at following a disembodied voice to god only knew where. There wasn’t time to waste though if Red Skull really was in the building.

The elevator began its descent. “So, uh, who’s talking to me?”

The voice returned, a little louder in the confined space. “My apologies, Captain. My name is JARVIS, Mister Stark’s personal AI.”

“Well now I can put a face---voice to the name. How’s Tony?” Steve asked. “He’s not—“

“Mister Stark is well while Miss Potts is making her way out of the building as we speak.”

Steve’s brows furrowed. “Why isn’t Tony with her?”

JARVIS sounded slightly put upon. “Mister Stark has requested a moment alone with Obadiah Stane.”

Steve rolled his eyes upwards. “Of course he has. Keep me updated. If anything goes wrong—“

“You will be the first to know,” Jarvis intoned.

The elevator stopped, the doors opening. Steve stepped out, checking in every direction for a sign of anyone else. He held his gun firmly at his side and listened for any sound that might lead him in the right direction.

“Can you tap into my comm, JARVIS?” Steve asked quietly.

“How may I be of assistance to you, Captain?” JARVIS asked, voice tiny inside his comm.

“Lead me to Schmidt,” Steve responded.

JARVIS paused for a moment. “I do believe he wants to make his whereabouts known, Captain. I believe this may be a trap.”

Steve nodded, “I would imagine so. Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Around the bend, first doorway on your left. You’ll find him there.”

“Thank you, JARVIS,” the blonde breathed out, quickly, yet quietly, making his way in that direction.

Steve paused outside the door. “Is there anyone else in the room or lurking about that I should worry about?”

JARVIS’s voice was sure. “I have detected no other bodies on this floor, sir.”

“Right, well there’s that. Just Red Skull. This was not one of my better plans, you know. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, Captain.” JARVIS said just as Steve pushed open the door with maybe just a bit too much strength as it went sailing open, slamming against the wall with a BANG.

Schmidt was indeed there, in the center of the room surrounded by servers humming and buzzing and lighting up in every direction. He spread his hands wide, a sharp toothed smile spreading over his face, a face badly scarred by grievous burns, the skin a deep pink, almost red hue. “Ah, welcome. I was a bit concerned you would not make it in time for our little date, Captain,” the German man said, voice heavily accented, “Just in time though, to watch as my virus has begun taking over the internal servers all around the building. The secrets these companies hide….wunderbar. And now they are mine.”

Steve sent a shot flying at something that looked important and very much electrical behind Schmidt’s head. The other man didn’t flinch, just smiled wider and laughed. “The virus is everywhere. Do you believe that shooting one server will hinder me?” He started pacing around the room. “Men like Stark. Obadiah. They are just as corrupt as we are, the only difference is they are praised for their death toll while we are shunned for ours, feared for the change we propose. They spin that fear into a guise of protection for the American people when they could harness that fear! Take it and grow! They hold the world in the palm of their hands and do nothing with it.” He sneered, “but not me.”

“In my experience, those who want everyone to fear them tend to be the biggest cowards of them all,” Steve said evenly.

Schmidt placed his hands behind his back and strolled forward, unconcerned by Steve’s presence or the gun he still held firmly at his side. “Dear Captain, you yourself are feared by many. Does that not make you a coward as well?”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t revel in fear nor do I desire it as you do. I want peace, even if that means getting my hands dirty with scum like you. Cowards hiding behind words,’ Steve stood tall. “Now quit stalling.”

Schmidt spread his arms wide again and smiled. “Then, Captain, as they say, hit me with your best shot.” When Steve didn’t move, Schmidt chuckled. “As I thought, you refrain from making the first move, morals can only get you so far, Captain.”

Steve let his eyes trail to the servers, still working, still infected. He raised his gun at Schmidt, just as the other man came charging at him, gun thrown aside and a hand around Steve’s throat before he could pull the trigger. Schmidt growled in his face. “I will savor this moment.”

Steve grabbed Skulls fingers at his throat and yanked them back until he heard an audible crack and the grip on his throat loosened enough for Steve to barrel into his arm and break the grip. He used the momentum from his spin to turn and kick Schmidt in the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

Steve scrambled toward the servers while patting his vest for the handheld EMP it carried. If he couldn’t clean the virus out he could at least shut the system down until someone else had the chance to do it. Steve yanked at the paneling, trying to find the right spot so send out the pulse when he felt a firm grip on his back, yanking him down to the ground and away from his work.

Steve rolled to his feet just in time to block a punch sailing towards his face but not so lucky to stop the next one that landed right on his ribs. Steve doubled over involuntarily only to be kneed in the face.

Steve grabbed at Red Skulls leg before it had the chance to touch the ground and yanked until he was flat on his back. He tried for the open paneling again but got caught around the ankle, tumbling once again the ground where they grappled, exchanging blows that left Steve winded and more than a little banged up.

Steve licked at the blood on his lip and thrust his head up until it cracked against Schmidt’s, the other man startled just enough the Steve got the advantage back, rolling out of reach and jumping to his feet. He spun to face the other man who was on his feet as well, devilish smirk adorning his face even as he bled.

Steve charged  at the other man, gripped him at the back of the neck and began punching at his abdomen until he was doubled over. Skull staggered back, gave Steve the chance to land a kick square in his chest, sending him crashing back into another set of servers.

While Schmidt groaned and struggled to his feet, Steve used the opportunity to regain his breath. He turned his back to look for his dropped gun, a mistake, and underestimation for Schmidt. Steve knew better.

Schmidt crashed into Steve from behind just as he made eyes with his gun, slamming him forward until his face met metal, slamming into the machines over and over until he managed to smash his elbow back and into the other man’s side, hard enough to crack a rib if the crunch he felt was any indication.

The fighting felt endless, drawn out until Steve felt almost numb to any pain, until he was bruised and bloody and his breath came in gasps. It was almost a physical relief when Skull’s next hit threw him close enough to his gun that he was able to grab it and fire, two shots, one in the leg and the other one landing somewhere between his shoulder and his chest.

Skull dropped to the ground like a brick, body limp, laying in a pool of blood that didn’t seem to be slowing down in growth.

Steve staggered closer using the wall of servers to hold himself up. Red Skull’s eyes fell on him, his smile covered in red. He began to laugh, gurgling on blood, choking on it. “You think you’ve won, Captain….” He trailed off, voice lost in a hacking cough. He picked back up as if he was never interrupted, voice quieter but no less smug. “Cut off the head and two more shall grow in its place.”

His last words, drowning between choking and gasping for air, were a fierce declaration of. “Hail Hydra.”

Steve shut his eyes and sagged heavily into himself for just a moment before regaining any strength he had left to finish what he started.

The sooner this was over, the sooner he could find Tony.

*****

Tony grabbed a chair and pulled it alongside Obie before plopping down. He stared down at the older man who was very obviously not trying to show how much pain he was in. It was testament to Obie’s extreme pride that he acted as though he hadn’t just been shot, as if he himself had chosen to lay on the floor at Tony’s feet. The metallic smell of his blood pouring out, staining his shirt, was enough to make Tony’s stomach turn, but now wasn’t the time to show weakness; it would only give Obie more strength.

Tony leaned back in his chair and waited as Obie tried to control his labored breaths. He figured he could sit there all day if he had to, some twisted part of him swelling with a mixture of pride and guilt that he’d brought Obadiah this low. That he’d given him a just a small taste of what Tony went through when he was taken because of Obadiah.

He wanted it to feel good, knowing that he’d essentially won, but all it did was made him feel sick, an unpleasant bubbling in his stomach and a lump lodged in his throat. Half of him wanted to gloat while the other half roared to be down on the ground helping to stop the bleeding somehow.

This was his mentor. This was his pseudo father. This was his friend.

This was a liar. A monster. A cheat.

Tony rolled his eyes to the ceiling, away from the site at his feet, at the injured but alive man who had meant so much to him growing up. He sighed; here he was, decked out in an assortment of homemade gadgets and he couldn’t even bring himself to use them, even when he knew the other man wouldn’t hesitate to use them on him.

Tony’s heart clenched painfully in his chest.

“You can’t do it, can you, Tony.” Obie breathed out, a pained wince finally marring his creased face. “You can’t pull the trigger.” He tsked, “Howard always said you were soft, my boy. Carried your heart on your sleeve for the whole world to see.”

Tony looked back down at him, his jaw twitching. He stayed quiet.

“You’ve got yourself…” He paused, trying to breath, “in a bit of a dilemma.”

“I know exactly what I’m doing, Obie,” Tony lied. So what if he was still trying to figure it all out, trying to cycle through every option he had. Growing up he’d wanted to be like Obie, had modeled himself off of the man, but now, now he wanted to be nothing like him. He didn’t want to become the man who would kick someone when they were already down, who would take advantage of a weak point when they were already in the lead.

“I can hear you thinking,” Obie said, followed by a breathy chuckle.

Tony clenched his jaw. “How long have you been working with HYDRA?”

Obadiah just rolled his head to look at Tony, a bored expression on his face. “I’m sure you already know the answer to that, Tony. Neither of us have time to waste.”

Tony took a steadying breath. “You had my parents killed--- my father. Did he know?”

Obadiah rolled his eyes, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Why do you think he’s dead, boy?”

Tony stood up with enough force to knock the chair backwards. His lips were pressed into a thin line. “And my mother, did she know too? How about Edwin Jarvis?”

“Collateral damage. Accidents happen and sometimes they just so happen to take out everyone in a certain radius. Maria and Edwin were---disposable.”

Tony winced, eyes filling with tears he refused to shed. He focused his eyes on the wall across from him. “And I wasn’t?”

Obie sounded almost caring when he spoke. “You were young, Tony. Still impressionable. I had hope for you.”

Tony glared down at the other man. “You wanted to mold me into someone like you then? Someone corrupt and power hungry?”

Obie shook his head sadly. “You were a failure, boy. Always were. Too much of Maria’s softness and too much of Howard’s determination to change the world, to thrust us into a period of peace.” He coughed loudly, wincing as he did. “Howard wanted to shut down weapons too, you know. Thought it was time to end it all, take SI in another direction. I can sell peace, but only with the right technology.”

“Is that your answer to everything?” Tony asked, disgusted. “Eliminate anything that gets in the way of things going your way like a kid throwing a tantrum?” Tony squeezed his eyes shut, got quiet. “If you wanted me dead, why did you have me tortured first?”

Obie laughed cruelly and clutched his wound, his words coming out slower than they had been, weighed, “You did something your father didn’t do. You locked away all of your designs, designs we would need when you were gone.” His eyes fluttered closed. “Just because the company is in your name doesn’t mean you get to make all the decisions, especially when you don’t know what’s best.”

Tony shook his head in disbelief. “What’s the endgame here, huh? What were you hoping to achieve?”

Obadiah simply hmmed.

Tony nudged Obadiah a bit roughly with his foot until the other man opened his eyes and narrowed them at him. “You had my family killed. You used me to further your cause until you decided I wasn’t playing well with others, had me tortured in an attempt to gain information all because you were….desperate? Money hungry?”

“You make it sound so simple, boy,” Obadiah wheezed at him.

Tony just shook his head and muttered under his breath. “Pathetic.”

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. “JARVIS?”

“The Captain, sir. Shall I let him in?”

Tony waved his hand in a go ahead motion and turned back to Obie. “The world is going to know about you soon. I’m not a fan of airing my dirty laundry for everyone to see, but I figure this will clear up a few things about what’s been going on right under everyone’s noses.”

Obie sneered. “You’ll destroy Stark Industries. You’ll put thousands of people out of work—“

Tony shrugged. “It’s time for something new, something bigger and better. Stark Resilient has been in my head for awhile now, and any employees loyal to the Stark brand are welcome to follow. I’m going to change the world Obie, and I’m going to do it my way.”

Steve spoke from behind him, quiet but determined. “Tony, we need to go. The building…” and Tony hadn’t noticed before but the structure did seem to shaking just the slightest bit, smoke still visible out of the windows. The fire was moving down from the top floors.

“Just a moment, Cap.”

“Tony,” Steve said, a bit louder this time.

“What?” Tony asked, not looking at Steve, instead staring down at Obie who wasn’t even attempting to hide the pain he was in any longer, gasping with each breath.

“What are you waiting for?”

Tony shook his head, kept his eyes firmly on Obie’s face. Tried to remember a smile that wasn’t twisted and cruel but loving and patient.

It didn’t help when Obie started to laugh, mocking Tony with a sneer. “You still can’t do it. You want to believe that you’re big and tough, but you still can’t kill me. Even when you could have you wasted your time talking.”

Tony blinked, expression smoothing out. “I don’t need to do it.” He crouched down next to Obie, the barrel of his gun pressed against his head as he spoke close to his ear. “You’re going to get what’s coming to you.” Tony stood up, started walking toward Steve, leaving Obadiah still on the floor.

Steve caught Tony’s eye as he walked passed him, out the door and down the hall. “Tony, what are you doing? He’s still—“

Tony kept walking, a bit faster. Steve sped up to keep pace, “Calm down, Captain. It’s being taken care of. Now, we might need to move just a little bit faster—“ He glanced down at his watch and picked up his speed a significant amount, “or a lot faster.” He burst through the stairwell and started racing down them, “Stairs! Faster! Come on, Steve! JARVIS! Anyone else still up there?”

JARVIS’s voice was as calm as could be, “Evacuation is complete, I have instructed rescue crews to retreat. Starting upload to mansion servers.”

Tony laughed, a crazy thing, and took the stairs three at a time, “You rock, JARVIS!” He pushed open the stairwell exit, leading back into the lobby. “Come ON, Steve. Move it!”

Steve raced through the door, adrenaline numbing the pain from his injuries. “Tony, what—“

Steve’s words were cut off by a loud groaning sound of metal twisting and glass shattering all around them. He pushed himself faster and yanked Tony forward, far enough away that the building imploding only covered them in a fine layer of ash.

Steve looked with wide eyes between the building, still standing in most places but destroyed completely in others, and Tony who was smiling, a small thing but still there, up at the building. Steve settled on just staring, astonished, at Tony after a moment of useless gaping.

He still really wanted to tear Tony a new one for coming out in the first place, but he also sort of wanted to hold onto the other man for dear life because, good lord, how were they both okay? Tony was alive and mostly unharmed and if he wasn’t sure that his own shoulder was out of place, he’d shake the genius until he Tony agreed to just listen. For once. Tony was going to be the absolute death of him, Steve decided as he took the other man’s shoulders in his hands, breathing heavily, shakily, one way or the other, this man was going to kill him.

Tony stared with wide confused eyes as Steve just held him there for a few moments. “Steve, what are you—“ Steve crushed his lips to the brunet’s, quieting the words though Tony did manage a rather high pitched squeak that Steve was going to tease him about later.

Tony wrapped both his arms around Steve’s shoulders and held on tight, yanking Steve down until he was slightly bent over Tony, hands at the other man’s hips, gripping as tight as he could.

As far as first kisses go, it was a little more on the desperate side than the romantic side, but it was everything Steve wanted at that moment.

“Oh, thank fuck. It’s about damn time,” Clint snarked, drawing closer to them both. “About you being alive and about you kissing. Mostly about you kissing. We were just a few weeks from trying to parent trap you both, I hope you know.”

Steve pulled away from Tony, though he didn’t go far, hands still resting lightly on the other man’s hips. He spared a brief eye roll in Clint’s direction before turning his attention back to Tony, murmuring softly, “You are the most reckless, idiotic person I know.”

Tony started nodding in agreement, still a little heavy lidded and disoriented from the kiss. “Yeah, I—“ He glared up at Steve. “Hold on. What?”

More ash drifted over onto them. Tony pulled away completely and folded his arms. “Who even does that? Kiss me and then start an argument? What even—“ Steve smirked and kissed him again, just a firm press of his lips to Tony’s. “Also, you’re the one who went and got yourself all cut up this time—“ another kiss, longer this time. Tony sighed, spoke with his eyes closed. “I’m not inept, Steve. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Steve leaned his forehead down against Tony’s. “I don’t think you’re inept. I think you are brave and reckless and a genius who just so happens to also be an idiot. You’re one of mine, Tony. Of course I have to worry, of course you doing something as stupid as coming out here while still injured is something I’m going to have a problem with. I want to keep you safe. I have to.”

Tony reached up and touched the bruises forming along Steve’s neck. “I’m fine. We’re alive.”  He looked at Steve from under his lashes. “You’re one of mine too, you know. That bridge goes both ways.”

Steve sighed, pulled away. “I know.” He reached down and laced his fingers with Tony, pulling him toward the others. “You know, as angry as I am that you came, you did do a good job.”

Tony laughed, a slight bounce in his step as he trailed along next to Steve, hand squeezing firmly. “I want that recorded. First thing when we get home--- er, after I fix your bike.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “Do I even want to know how bad?”

Tony shrugged. “Let’s just say your two wheeler became a four wheeler became a no wheeler.”

Steve groaned. “Tony, ho—“

Tony pecked him on the cheek and Steve floundered, lost his words. Tony smirked. “Cool, new trick.”

Steve nudged Tony with his shoulder, a smile on his face. Tony grinned back, open and wide and sort of beautiful. Steve rolled his eyes toward the sky, how had this become his life.

**Epilogue**

Two months. It had taken two months of meetings with lawyers, meetings with government officials, meetings with the press--- meetings with what felt like everyone on Earth.

He was finally able to walk into his mansion again though, this time without the flock of press out for blood littering about at his front gates. Not now that everything was finally settled, Stark Industries on its way out and Stark Resilient on its way in with Pepper running as active CEO and Happy as his head of security. It was great, perfect really, leaving him with all the time in the world to invent to his heart’s content. Invent things that would change the future for the better.

Tony tossed his suit jacket on the back of the sofa and was immediately distracted by the site of a very blond, very stunning man sitting in his recliner, tossing a ball back and forth to a robot.

“Security breach,” Tony quipped, “How’d you get in here?”

“JARVIS let me in,” Steve simply replied, wrestling the ball out of Nuts-N-Bolts clamps.

“Why would JARVIS, never mind. You know he’s not actually a dog, right? You still can’t get him a leash.”

Steve just smiled down at the bot, and muttered. “We’ll see about that.” He stood up, looking smaller and more nervous than Tony could ever recall seeing him. “Congratulations.”

Tony crouched down and began gesturing for the bot to come closer. “For what?”

“For…getting your business together. Getting your life back. Hopefully no one will underestimate you again.”

Tony’s eyes swiveled up to stare at Steve, brows furrowed. “It’s not…” he sighed, stood up and folded his arms across his chest. “Thank you.”

“I, uh…” Steve looked all around the room, everywhere but at Tony, seemingly struggling for words.

“Cap, whats up?” He moved his hand up and down as if to encompass all that Steve was. “I’ve never seen you look like this, so…uncomfortable since…well ever. Are you okay?”

Steve rubbed at the back of his neck and looked at a spot somewhere to the left of Tony’s head. “What I guess I…” He let out a hard breath, muttering to himself. “Come on, Rogers. Get it together.”

Tony laughed. “Did you just pep talk yourself?” When Steve didn’t so much as smile Tony felt himself really getting worried. “Steve,” he said quietly, taking a cautious step forward.

“Don’t leave us,” the blond bit out, then shook his head, a flush making its way up his neck. “No. That didn’t—we haven’t—I haven’t seen you in awhile and…It’s not about just what you can do for us, that’s not what I’m trying to say, I wanted to make that clear.”

“That’s the only thing you have made clear.” Tony took another step closer. “Steve I—“

Steve held up his hand in a halting motion, “Let me get this out first and then you can speak, I promise.” Tony nodded and Steve took a deep breath and then—promptly fell silent.

Tony groaned “Spit it out, Cap.”

“Hold on a second, kid, I’m workin’ on it,” Steve said, a little bit of that Brooklyn twang Tony sort of missed hearing working its way out.

Tony rolled his eyes. “You’re like, five years older than me. Stop calling me a kid already.”

Steve finally smiled. “I want to try. With you, that is. It’s probably a really bad idea but it’s all I’ve been thinking about since you left and I want to try.”

Tony tried to tame the wide grin that was threatening to split his face with no luck. “I have it on good authority that I am not known for my good ideas.” He walked closer until he stood right in front of Steve, not touching but close enough that Tony could hear Steve breathing. “I’ve missed you, I’ve wanted to—we can try. I want to. With you. Um…” Tony felt his face getting warm.

Steve grabbed Tony’s hand and pulled him closer until their chests were touching. “I missed you too, Tony. Even if you are an idiot.”

Tony laughed and poked at Steve’s ridiculously sculpted chest “And I’ll try with you even if you are the biggest jerk to walk the planet.”

“Oh, really? The biggest?”

“Well, maybe not—“

“Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss.”

They both laughed and looked down at where General Nuts-N-Bolts was racing around their legs. “Now that’s and order I can follow. You better follow it too, seeing as he outranks you now.”

Steve shrugged, “I guess I have to listen to him,” he said, leaning in closer until he could brush his lips just the barest bit against Tony’s, much more relaxed than their first. There was no rush, no imminent danger, nothing but Tony’s arms wrapping around Steve’s waist and Steve’s hands on either side of Tony’s face as they fell into each other, all the time in the world in the palms of their hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated!
> 
> This concludes the longest fic I have ever written.

**Author's Note:**

> A few things I wanted to point out about Tony's characterization.
> 
> He did not have a good relationship with Howard, but growing up without living in the shadow of Captain America, Tony is a lot less resentful overall. He's young and still a bit idealistic despite being a futurist. He is still very naive in some respects because he hasn't had all the life experiences of a 40 year old. He's slowly learning to be less trustful of others because he's starting to see the harsh reality of the world outside of his otherwise sheltered life. His emotions are a bit less stable at this point in his life, especially considering everything that has just recently happened to him.
> 
> Concrit is welcome. Comments are appreciated. :)


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